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THE SECRET
TEACHINGS OF ALL
AGES
AN ENCYCLOPEDIC OUTLINE OF MASONIC,
HERMETIC, QABBALISTIC AND ROSICRUCIAN
SYMBOLICAL PHILOSOPHY
By
Manly P. Hall
SAN FRANCISCO
-1928-
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
PREFACE
NUMEROUS volumes have been written as commentaries upon the secret
systems of philosophy existing in the ancient world, but the ageless truths of
life, like many of the earth's greatest thinkers, have usually been clothed in
shabby garments. The present work is an attempt to supply a tome worthy of
those seers and sages whose thoughts are the substance of its pages. To bring
about this coalescence of Beauty and Truth has proved most costly, but I
believe that the result will produce an effect upon the mind of the reader
which will more than justify the expenditure.
Work upon the text of this volume was begun the first day of January, 1926,
and has continued almost uninterruptedly for over two years. The greater
part of the research work, however, was carried on prior to the writing of the
manuscript. The collection of reference material was begun in 1921, and
three years later the plans for the book took definite form. For the sake of
clarity, all footnotes were eliminated, the various quotations and references
to other authors being embodied in the text in their logical order. The
bibliography is appended primarily to assist those interested in selecting for
future study the most authoritative and important items dealing with
philosophy and symbolism. To make readily accessible the abstruse
information contained in the book, an elaborate topical cross index is
included.
I make no claim for either the infallibility or the originality of any statement
herein contained. I have studied the fragmentary writings of the ancients
sufficiently to realize that dogmatic utterances concerning their tenets are
worse than foolhardy. Traditionalism is the curse of modern philosophy,
particularly that of the European schools. While many of the statements
contained in this treatise may appear at first wildly fantastic, I have sincerely
endeavored to refrain from haphazard metaphysical speculation, presenting
the material as far as possible in the spirit rather than the letter of the original
authors. By assuming responsibility only for the mistakes which may' appear
herein, I hope to escape the accusation of plagiarism which has been directed
against nearly every writer on the subject of mystical philosophy.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The entire theory of the book is diametrically opposed to the modern method
of thinking, for it is concerned with subjects openly ridiculed by the sophists
of the twentieth century. Its true purpose is to introduce the mind of the
reader to a hypothesis of living wholly beyond the pale of materialistic
theology, philosophy, or science. The mass of abstruse material between its
covers is not susceptible to perfect organization, but so far as possible
related topics have been grouped together.
The matter of translation was the greatest single task in the research work
incident to the preparation of this volume. The necessary
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
assigned the technical difficulties of fitting the text matter into its allotted
space. For much of the literary charm of the work I am also indebted to Mr.
M. M. Saxton, to whom the entire manuscript was first dictated and to whom
was also entrusted the preparation of the index. The splendid efforts of Mr.
J. Augustus Knapp, the illustrator, have resulted in a series of color plates
which add materially to the beauty and completeness of the work. Q The
printing of the book was in the hands of Mr. Frederick E. Keast, of H. S.
Crocker Company, Inc., whose great personal interest in the volume has
been manifested by an untiring effort to improve the quality thereof Through
the gracious cooperation of Dr. John Henry Nash, the foremost designer of
printing on the American Continent, the book appears in a unique and
appropriate form, embodying the finest elements of the printer's craft. An
increase in the number of plates and also a finer quality of workmanship
than was first contemplated have been made possible by Mr. C. E. Benson,
of the Los Angeles Engraving Company, who entered heart and soul into the
production of this volume.
The pre-publication sale of this book has been without known precedent in
book history. The subscription list for the first edition of 550 copies was
entirely closed a year before the manuscript was placed in the printer's
hands. The second, or King Solomon, edition, consisting of 550 copies, and
the third, or Theosophical, edition, consisting of 200 copies, were sold
before the finished volume was received from the printer. For so ambitious a
production, this constitutes a unique achievement. The credit for this
extraordinary sales program belongs to Mrs. Maud F. Galigher, who had as
her ideal not to sell the book in the commercial sense of the word but to
place it in the hands of those particularly interested in the subject matter it
contains. Valuable assistance in this respect was also rendered by numerous
friends who had attended my lectures and who without compensation
undertook and successfully accomplished the distribution of the book.
I sincerely hope that each reader will profit from the perusal of this book,
even as I have profited from the writing of it. The years of labor and thought
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
expended upon it have meant much to me. The research work discovered to
me many great truths; the writing of it discovered to me the laws of order
and patience; the printing of it discovered to me new wonders of the arts and
crafts; and the whole enterprise has discovered to me a multitude of friends
whom otherwise I might never have known. And so, in the words of John
Bunyan:
I penned
It down, until at last it came to be,
For length and breadth, the bigness which you see.
MANLY P. HALL.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Introduction
PHILOSOPHY is the science of estimating values. The superiority of any
state or substance over another is determined by philosophy. By assigning a
position of primary importance to what remains when all that is secondary
has been removed, philosophy thus becomes the true index of priority or
emphasis in the realm of speculative thought. The mission of philosophy a
priori is to establish the relation of manifested things to their invisible
ultimate cause or nature.
"Philosophy," writes Sir William Hamilton, "has been defined [as]: The
science of things divine and human, and of the causes in which they are
contained [Cicero]; The science of effects by their causes [Hobbes]; The
science of sufficient reasons [Leibnitz]; The science of things possible,
inasmuch as they are possible [Wolf]; The science of things evidently
deduced from first principles [Descartes]; The science of truths, sensible and
abstract [de Condillac]; The application of reason to its legitimate objects
[Tennemann]; The science of the relations of all knowledge to the necessary
ends of human reason [Kant];The science of the original form of the ego or
mental self [Krug]; The science of sciences [Fichte]; The science of the
absolute [von Schelling]; The science of the absolute indifference of the
ideal and real [von Schelling]--or, The identity of identity and non-identity
[Hegel]." (See Lectures on Metaphysics and Logic.)
The six headings under which the disciplines of philosophy are commonly
classified are: metaphysics, which deals with such abstract subjects as
cosmology, theology, and the nature of being; logic, which deals with the
laws governing rational thinking, or, as it has been called, "the doctrine of
fallacies"; ethics, which is the science of morality, individual responsibility,
and character--concerned chiefly with an effort to determine the nature of
good; psychology, which is devoted to investigation and classification of
those forms of phenomena referable to a mental origin; epistemology, which
is the science concerned primarily with the nature of knowledge itself and
the question of whether it may exist in an absolute form; and sthetics,
which is the science of the nature of and the reactions awakened by the
beautiful, the harmonious, the elegant, and the noble.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
substantiated by almost incontestible logic. The lofty theorems of the old
Academy which Iamblichus likened to the nectar and ambrosia of the gods
have been so adulterated by opinion--which Heraclitus declared to be a
falling sickness of the mind--that the heavenly mead would now be quite
unrecognizable to this great Neo-Platonist. Convincing evidence of the
increasing superficiality of modern scientific and philosophic thought is its
persistent drift towards materialism. When the great astronomer Laplace was
asked by Napoleon why he had not mentioned God in his Trait de la
Mcanique Cleste, the mathematician naively replied: "Sire, I had no need
for that hypothesis!"
An ancient philosopher once said: "He who has not even a knowledge of
common things is a brute among men. He who has an accurate knowledge of
human concerns alone is a man among brutes. But he who knows all that can
be known by intellectual energy, is a God among men." Man's status in the
natural world is determined, therefore, by the quality of his thinking. He
whose mind is enslaved to his bestial instincts is philosophically not superior
to the brute-, he whose rational faculties ponder human affairs is a man; and
he whose intellect is elevated to the consideration of divine realities is
already a demigod, for his being partakes of the luminosity with which his
reason has brought him into proximity. In his encomium of "the science of
sciences" Cicero is led to exclaim: "O philosophy, life's guide! O searcher--
out of virtue and expeller of vices! What could we and every age of men
have been without thee? Thou hast produced cities; thou hast called men
scattered about into the social enjoyment of life."
In this age the word philosophy has little meaning unless accompanied by
some other qualifying term. The body of philosophy has been broken up into
numerous isms more or less antagonistic, which have become so concerned
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
with the effort to disprove each other's fallacies that the sublimer issues of
divine order and human destiny have suffered deplorable neglect. The ideal
function of philosophy is to serve as the stabilizing influence in human
thought. By virtue of its intrinsic nature it should prevent man from ever
establishing unreasonable codes of life. Philosophers themselves, however,
have frustrated the ends of philosophy by exceeding in their woolgathering
those untrained minds whom they are supposed to lead in the straight and
narrow path of rational thinking. To list and classify any but the more
important of the now recognized schools of philosophy is beyond the space
limitations of this volume. The vast area of speculation covered by
philosophy will be appreciated best after a brief consideration of a few of the
outstanding systems of philosophic discipline which have swayed the world
of thought during the last twenty-six centuries. The Greek school of
philosophy had its inception with the seven immortalized thinkers upon
whom was first conferred the appellation of Sophos, "the wise." According
to Diogenes Laertius, these were Thales, Solon, Chilon, Pittacus, Bias,
Cleobulus, and Periander. Water was conceived by Thales to be the primal
principle or element, upon which the earth floated like a ship, and
earthquakes were the result of disturbances in this universal sea. Since
Thales was an Ionian, the school perpetuating his tenets became known as
the Ionic. He died in 546 B.C., and was succeeded by Anaximander, who in
turn was followed by Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, and Archelaus, with whom
the Ionic school ended. Anaximander, differing from his master Thales,
declared measureless and indefinable infinity to be the principle from which
all things were generated. Anaximenes asserted air to be the first element of
the universe; that souls and even the Deity itself were composed of it.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
BABBITT'S ATOM
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
inclosed in any body, is the efficient cause of all things; out of the infinite
matter consisting of similar parts, everything being made according to its
species by the divine mind, who when all things were at first confusedly
mingled together, came and reduced them to order." Archelaus declared the
principle of all things to be twofold: mind (which was incorporeal) and air
(which was corporeal), the rarefaction and condensation of the latter
resulting in fire and water respectively. The stars were conceived by
Archelaus to be burning iron places. Heraclitus (who lived 536-470 B.C. and
is sometimes included in the Ionic school) in his doctrine of change and
eternal flux asserted fire to be the first element and also the state into which
the world would ultimately be reabsorbed. The soul of the world he regarded
as an exhalation from its humid parts, and he declared the ebb and flow of
the sea to be caused by the sun.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The Eleatic sect was founded by Xenophanes (570-480 B.C.), who was
conspicuous for his attacks upon the cosmologic and theogonic fables of
Homer and Hesiod. Xenophanes declared that God was "one and
incorporeal, in substance and figure round, in no way resembling man; that
He is all sight and all hearing, but breathes not; that He is all things, the
mind and wisdom, not generate but eternal, impassible, immutable, and
rational." Xenophanes believed that all existing things were eternal, that the
world was without beginning or end, and that everything which was
generated was subject to corruption. He lived to great age and is said to have
buried his sons with his own hands. Parmenides studied under Xenophanes,
but never entirely subscribed to his doctrines. Parmenides declared the
senses to be uncertain and reason the only criterion of truth. He first asserted
the earth to be round and also divided its surface into zones of hear and cold.
The great Democritus to a certain degree enlarged upon the atomic theory of
Leucippus. Democritus declared the principles of all things to be twofold:
atoms and vacuum. Both, he asserted, are infinite--atoms in number, vacuum
in magnitude. Thus all bodies must be composed of atoms or vacuum.
Atoms possessed two properties, form and size, both characterized by
infinite variety. The soul Democritus also conceived to be atomic in
structure and subject to dissolution with the body. The mind he believed to
be composed of spiritual atoms. Aristotle intimates that Democritus obtained
his atomic theory from the Pythagorean doctrine of the Monad. Among the
Eleatics are also included Protagoras and Anaxarchus.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
philosophy. According to Plutarch, Socrates conceived every place as
appropriate for reaching in that the whole world was a school of virtue. He
held that the soul existed before the body and, prior to immersion therein,
was endowed with all knowledge; that when the soul entered into the
material form it became stupefied, but that by discourses upon sensible
objects it was caused to reawaken and to recover its original knowledge. On
these premises was based his attempt to stimulate the soul-power through
irony and inductive reasoning. It has been said of Socrates that the sole
subject of his philosophy was man. He himself declared philosophy to be the
way of true happiness and its purpose twofold: (1) to contemplate God, and
(2) to abstract the soul from corporeal sense.
The Elean sect was founded by Phdo of Elis, a youth of noble family, who
was bought from slavery at the instigation of Socrates and who became his
devoted disciple. Plato so highly admired Phdo's mentality that he named
one of the most famous of his discourses The Phdo. Phdo was succeeded
in his school by Plisthenes, who in turn was followed by Menedemus. Of the
doctrines of the Elean sect little is known. Menedemus is presumed to have
been inclined toward the teachings of Stilpo and the Megarian sect. When
Menedemus' opinions were demanded, he answered that he was free, thus
intimating that most men were enslaved to their opinions. Menedemus was
apparently of a somewhat belligerent temperament and often returned from
his lectures in a badly bruised condition. The most famous of his
propositions is stated thus: That which is not the same is different from that
with which it is not the same. This point being admitted, Menedemus
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
continued: To benefit is not the same as good, therefore good does not
benefit. After the time of Menedemus the Elean sect became known as the
Eretrian. Its exponents denounced all negative propositions and all complex
and abstruse theories, declaring that only affirmative and simple doctrines
could be true.
The Megarian sect was founded by Euclid of Megara (not the celebrated
mathematician), a great admirer of Socrates. The Athenians passed a law
decreeing death to any citizen of Megara found in the city of Athens.
Nothing daunted, Euclid donned woman's clothing and went at night to
study with Socrates. After the cruel death of their teacher, the disciples of
Socrates, fearing a similar fate, fled to Megara, where they were entertained
with great honor by Euclid. The Megarian school accepted the Socratic
doctrine that virtue is wisdom, adding to it the Eleatic concept that goodness
is absolute unity and all change an illusion of the senses. Euclid maintained
that good has no opposite and therefore evil does not exist. Being asked
about the nature of the gods, he declared himself ignorant of their disposition
save that they hated curious persons.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
PLATO
can be moved, since to be moved it must be taken out of the place in which
it is and put into the place where it is not, which is impossible because all
things must always be in the places where they are.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
he gained by a life of philosophy, Antisthenes replied that he had learned
how to converse with himself.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Aristippus to the chief position among the virtues. He further declared
philosophers to differ markedly from other men in that they alone would not
change the order of their lives if all the laws of men were abolished. Among
prominent philosophers influenced by the Cyrenaic doctrines were Hegesias,
Anniceris, Theodorus, and Bion.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
or the bringing into objectivity of knowledge formerly acquired by the soul
in a previous state of existence. At the entrance of the Platonic school in the
Academy were written the words: "Let none ignorant of geometry enter
here."
After the death of Plato, his disciples separated into two groups. One, the
Academics, continued to meet in the Academy where once he had presided;
the other, the Peripatetics, removed to the Lyceum under the leadership of
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.). Plato recognized Aristotle as his greatest disciple
and, according to Philoponus, referred to him as "the mind of the school." If
Aristotle were absent from the lectures, Plato would say: "The intellect is not
here." Of the prodigious genius of Aristotle, Thomas Taylor writes in his
introduction to The Metaphysics:
"When we consider that he was not only well acquainted with every science,
as his works abundantly evince, but that he wrote on almost every subject
which is comprehended in the circle of human knowledge, and this with
matchless accuracy and skill, we know not which to admire most, the
penetration or extent of his mind."
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Of the philosophy of Aristotle, the same author says: "The end of Aristotle's
moral philosophy is perfection through the virtues, and the end of his
contemplative philosophy an union with the one principle of all things."
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Aristotle conceived philosophy to be twofold: practical and theoretical.
Practical philosophy embraced ethics and politics; theoretical philosophy,
physics and logic. Metaphysics he considered to be the science concerning
that substance which has the principle of motion and rest inherent to itself.
To Aristotle the soul is that by which man first lives, feels, and understands.
Hence to the soul he assigned three faculties: nutritive, sensitive, and
intellective. He further considered the soul to be twofold--rational and
irrational--and in some particulars elevated the sense perceptions above the
mind. Aristotle defined wisdom as the science of first Causes. The four
major divisions of his philosophy are dialectics, physics, ethics, and
metaphysics. God is defined as the First Mover, the Best of beings, an
immovable Substance, separate from sensible things, void of corporeal
quantity, without parts and indivisible. Platonism is based upon a priori
reasoning; Aristotelianism upon a posteriori reasoning. Aristotle taught his
pupil, Alexander the Great, to feel that if he had not done a good deed he
had not reigned that day. Among his followers were Theophrastus, Strato,
Lyco, Aristo, Critolaus, and Diodorus.
The sect of the Stoics was founded by Zeno (340-265 B.C.), the Cittiean,
who studied under Crates the Cynic, from which sect the Stoics had their
origin. Zeno was succeeded by Cleanthes, Chrysippus, Zeno of Tarsis,
Diogenes, Antipater, Pantius, and Posidonius. Most famous of the Roman
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Stoics are Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. The Stoics were essentially
pantheists, since they maintained that as there is nothing better than the
world, the world is God. Zeno declared that the reason of the world is
diffused throughout it as seed. Stoicism is a materialistic philosophy,
enjoining voluntary resignation to natural law. Chrysippus maintained that
good and evil being contrary, both are necessary since each sustains the
other. The soul was regarded as a body distributed throughout the physical
form and subject to dissolution with it. Though some of the Stoics held that
wisdom prolonged the existence of the soul, actual immortality is not
included in their tenets. The soul was said to be composed of eight parts: the
five senses, the generative power, the vocal power, and an eighth, or
hegemonic, part. Nature was defined as God mixed throughout the substance
of the world. All things were looked upon as bodies either corporeal or
incorporeal.
Meekness marked the attitude of the Stoic philosopher. While Diogenes was
delivering a discourse against anger, one of his listeners spat contemptuously
in his face. Receiving the insult with humility, the great Stoic was moved to
retort: "I am not angry, but am in doubt whether I ought to be so or not!"
Epicurus of Samos (341-270 B.C.) was the founder of the Epicurean sect,
which in many respects resembles the Cyrenaic but is higher in its ethical
standards. The Epicureans also posited pleasure as the most desirable state,
but conceived it to be a grave and dignified state achieved through
renunciation of those mental and emotional inconstancies which are
productive of pain and sorrow. Epicurus held that as the pains of the mind
and soul are more grievous than those of the body, so the joys of the mind
and soul exceed those of the body. The Cyrenaics asserted pleasure to be
dependent upon action or motion; the Epicureans claimed rest or lack of
action to be equally productive of pleasure. Epicurus accepted the
philosophy of Democritus concerning the nature of atoms and based his
physics upon this theory. The Epicurean philosophy may be summed up in
four canons:
"(1) Sense is never deceived; and therefore every sensation and every
perception of an appearance is true. (2) Opinion follows upon sense and is
superadded to sensation, and capable of truth or falsehood, (3) All opinion
attested, or not contradicted by the evidence of sense, is true. (4) An opinion
contradicted, or not attested by the evidence of sense, is false." Among the
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Epicureans of note were Metrodorus of Lampsacus, Zeno of Sidon, and
Phdrus.
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which began to assert itself later reached maturity of expression in twentieth
century materialism and commercialism,
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
even though Neo-Platonism was to intervene and many centuries pass before
this emphasis took definite form.
When the physical body of pagan thought collapsed, an attempt was made to
resurrect the form by instilling new life into it by the unveiling of its
mystical truths. This effort apparently was barren of results. Despite the
antagonism, however, between pristine Christianity and Neo-Platonism
many basic tenets of the latter were accepted by the former and woven into
the fabric of Patristic philosophy. Briefly described, Neo-Platonism is a
philosophic code which conceives every physical or concrete body of
doctrine to be merely the shell of a spiritual verity which may be discovered
through meditation and certain exercises of a mystic nature. In comparison
to the esoteric spiritual truths which they contain, the corporeal bodies of
religion and philosophy were considered relatively of little value. Likewise,
no emphasis was placed upon the material sciences.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
revelation. Eminent among the ante-Nicene Fathers were St. Irenus,
Clement of Alexandria, and Justin Martyr. In the post-Nicene period more
emphasis was placed upon the unfoldment of Christian philosophy along
Platonic and Neo-Platonic lines, resulting in the appearance of many strange
documents of a lengthy, rambling, and ambiguous nature, nearly all of which
were philosophically unsound. The post-Nicene philosophers included
Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, and Cyril of Alexandria. The Patristic school
is notable for its emphasis upon the supremacy of man throughout the
universe. Man was conceived to be a separate and divine creation--the
crowning achievement of Deity and an exception to the suzerainty of natural
law. To the Patristics it was inconceivable that there should ever exist
another creature so noble, so fortunate, or so able as man, for whose sole
benefit and edification all the kingdoms of Nature were primarily created.
The death of Boethius in the sixth century marked the close of the ancient
Greek school of philosophy. The ninth century saw the rise of the new
school of Scholasticism, which sought to reconcile philosophy with
theology. Representative of the main divisions of the Scholastic school were
the Eclecticism of John of Salisbury, the Mysticism of Bernard of Clairvaux
and St. Bonaventura, the Rationalism of Peter Abelard, and the pantheistic
Mysticism of Meister Eckhart. Among the Arabian Aristotelians were
Avicenna and Averroes. The zenith of Scholasticism was reached with the
advent of Albertus Magnus and his illustrious disciple, St. Thomas Aquinas.
Thomism (the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, sometimes referred to as
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
the Christian Aristotle) sought to reconcile the various factions of the
Scholastic school. Thomism was basically Aristotelian with the added
concept that faith is a projection of reason.
Having broken away from the scholastic and theological schools, Post-
Reformation, or modern, philosophy experienced a most prolific growth
along many diverse lines. According to Humanism, man is the measure of
all things; Rationalism makes the reasoning faculties the basis of all
knowledge; Political Philosophy holds that man must comprehend his
natural, social, and national privileges; Empiricism declares that alone to be
true which is demonstrable by experiment or experience; Moralism
emphasizes the necessity of right conduct as a fundamental philosophic
tenet; Idealism asserts the realities of the universe to be superphysical--either
mental or psychical; Realism, the reverse; and Phenomenalism restricts
knowledge to facts or events which can be scientifically described or
explained. The most recent developments in the field of philosophic thought
are Behaviorism and Neo-Realism. The former estimates the intrinsic
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
characteristics through an analysis of behavior; the latter may be summed up
as the total extinction of idealism.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
creature, and is not concerned with astronomy as that science is now comprehended. In the above figure,
special attention is called to the three circles of zodiacs surrounding the orbits of the planets. These
zodiacs represent the threefold spiritual constitution of the universe. The orbits of the planets are the
Governors of the World and the four elemental spheres in the center represent the physical constitution of
both man and the universe, Ptolemy's scheme of the universe is simply a cross section of the universal aura,
the planets and elements to which he refers having no relation to those recognized by modern astronomers.
German philosophy had its inception with Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz,
whose theories are permeated with the qualities of optimism and idealism.
Leibnitz's criteria of sufficient reason revealed to him the insufficiency of
Descartes' theory of extension, and he therefore concluded that substance
itself contained an inherent power in the form of an incalculable number of
separate and all-sufficient units. Matter reduced to its ultimate particles
ceases to exist as a substantial body, being resolved into a mass of
immaterial ideas or metaphysical units of power, to which Leibnitz applied
the term monad. Thus the universe is composed of an infinite number of
separate monadic entities unfolding spontaneously through the
objectification of innate active qualities. All things are conceived as
consisting of single monads of varying magnitudes or of aggregations of
these bodies, which may exist as physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual
substances. God is the first and greatest Monad; the spirit of man is an
awakened monad in contradistinction to the lower kingdoms whose
governing monadic powers are in a semi-dormant state.
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are considered absolute and sufficient bases for exact thinking. Kant's
practical reason declared that while the nature of noumenon could never be
comprehended by the reason, the fact of morality proves the existence of
three necessary postulates: free will, immortality, and God. In the critique of
judgment Kant demonstrates the union of the noumenon and the
phenomenon in art and biological evolution. German superintellectualism is
the outgrowth of an overemphasis of Kant's theory of the autocratic
supremacy of the mind over sensation and thought. The philosophy of
Johann Gottlieb Fichte was a projection of Kant's philosophy, wherein he
attempted to unite Kant's practical reason with his pure reason. Fichte held
that the known is merely the contents of the consciousness of the knower,
and that nothing can exist to the knower until it becomes part of those
contents. Nothing is actually real, therefore, except the facts of one's own
mental experience.
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the condition of unfoldment. In like manner, thought is without either
beginning or end. Hegel further believed that all things owe their existence
to their opposites and that all opposites are actually identical. Thus the only
existence is the relationship of opposites to each other, through whose
combinations new elements are produced. As the Divine Mind is an eternal
process of thought never accomplished, Hegel assails the very foundation of
theism and his philosophy limits immortality to the everflowing Deity alone.
Evolution is consequently the never-ending flow of Divine Consciousness
out of itself; all creation, though continually moving, never arrives at any
state other than that of ceaseless flow.
The true subject of Arthur Schopenhauer's philosophy is the will; the object
of his philosophy is the elevation of the mind to the point where it is capable
of controlling the will. Schopenhauer likens the will to a strong blind man
who carries on his shoulders the intellect, which is a weak lame man
possessing the power of sight. The will is the tireless cause of manifestation
and every part of Nature the product of will. The brain is the product of the
will to know; the hand the product of the will to grasp. The entire intellectual
and emotional constitutions of man are subservient to the will and are
largely concerned with the effort to justify the dictates of the will. Thus the
mind creates elaborate systems of thought simply to prove the necessity of
the thing willed. Genius, however, represents the state wherein the intellect
has gained supremacy over the will and the life is ruled by reason and not by
impulse. The strength of Christianity, said Schopenhauer, lay in its
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pessimism and conquest of individual will. His own religious viewpoints
resembled closely the Buddhistic. To him Nirvana represented the
subjugation of will. Life--the manifestation of the blind will to live--he
viewed as a misfortune, claiming that the true philosopher was one who,
recognizing the wisdom of death, resisted the inherent urge to reproduce his
kind.
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Before a proper appreciation of the deeper scientific aspects of Greek mythology is possible, it is necessary
to organize the Greek pantheon and arrange its gods, goddesses, and various superhuman hierarchies in
concatenated order. Proclus, the great Neo-Platonist, in his commentaries on the theology of Plato, gives
an invaluable key to the sequence of the various deities in relation to the First Cause and the inferior
powers emanating from themselves. When thus arranged, the divine hierarchies may be likened to the
branches of a great tree. The roots of this tree are firmly imbedded in Unknowable Being. The trunk and
larger branches of the tree symbolize the superior gods; the twigs and leaves, the innumerable existences
dependent upon the first and unchanging Power.
Ren Descartes stands at the head of the French school of philosophy and
shares with Sir Francis Bacon the honor of founding the systems of modern
science and philosophy. As Bacon based his conclusions upon observation
of external things, so Descartes founded his metaphysical philosophy upon
observation of internal things. Cartesianism (the philosophy of Descartes)
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first eliminates all things and then replaces as fundamental those premises
without which existence is impossible. Descartes defined an idea as that
which fills the mind when we conceive a thing. The truth of an idea must be
determined by the criteria of clarity and distinctness. Hence Descartes, held
that a clear and distinct idea must be true. Descartes has the distinction also
of evolving his own philosophy without recourse to authority. Consequently
his conclusions are built up from the simplest of premises and grow in
complexity as the structure of his philosophy takes form.
The Positive philosophy of Auguste Comte is based upon the theory that the
human intellect develops through three stages of thought. The first and
lowest stage is theological; the second, metaphysical; and the third and
highest, positive. Thus theology and metaphysics are the feeble intellectual
efforts of humanity's child-mind and positivism is the mental expression of
the adult intellect. In his Cours de Philosophie positive, Comte writes:
"In the final, the positive state, the mind has given over the vain search after
Absolute notions, the origin and destination of the universe, and the causes
of phenomena, and applies itself to the study of their laws,--that is, their
invariable relations of succession and resemblance. Reasoning and
observation, duly combined, are the means of this knowledge." Comte's
theory is described as an "enormous system of materialism." According to
Comte, it was formerly said that the heavens declare the glory of God, but
now they only recount the glory of Newton and Laplace.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
philosophy. Bergson sees God as life continually struggling against the
limitations of matter. He even conceives the possible victory of life over
matter, and in time the annihilation of death.
Applying the Baconian method to the mind, John Locke, the great English
philosopher, declared that everything which passes through the mind is a
legitimate object of mental philosophy, and that these mental phenomena are
as real and valid as the objects of any other science. In his investigations of
the origin of phenomena Locke departed from the Baconian requirement that
it was first necessary to make a natural history of facts. The mind was
regarded by Locke to be blank until experience is inscribed upon it. Thus the
mind is built up of received impressions plus reflection. The soul Locke
believed to be incapable of apprehension of Deity, and man's realization or
cognition of God to be merely an inference of the reasoning faculty. David
Hume was the most enthusiastic and also the most powerful of the disciples
of Locke.
In the Associationalism of Hartley and Hume was advanced the theory that
the association of ideas is the fundamental principle of psychology and the
explanation for all mental phenomena. Hartley held that if a sensation be
repeated several times there is a tendency towards its spontaneous repetition,
which may be awakened by association with some other idea even though
the object causing the original reaction be absent. The Utilitarianism of
Jeremy Bentham, Archdeacon Paley, and James and John Stuart Mill
declares that to be the greatest good which is the most useful to the greatest
number. John Stuart Mill believed that if it is possible through sensation to
secure knowledge of the properties of things, it is also possible through a
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
higher state of the mind--that is, intuition or reason--to gain a knowledge of
the true substance of things.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
A CHRISTIAN TRINITY
36
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
affirming a multiplicity of universes and conceiving Cosmos to be so vast
that no single creed could fill it, Bruno paid the forfeit of his life.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Santayana warrants the listing of this great Spaniard among the ranks of
American philosophers. Defending himself with the shield of skepticism
alike from the illusions of the senses and the cumulative errors of the ages,
Santayana seeks to lead mankind into a more apprehending state
denominated by him the life of reason.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
humanity. Both the dignity of these sacred institutions and the validity of
their claim to possession of Universal Wisdom are attested by the most
illustrious philosophers of antiquity, who were themselves initiated into the
profundities of the secret doctrine and who bore witness to its efficacy.
Far-sighted were the initiates of antiquity. They realized that nations come
and go, that empires rise and fall, and that the golden ages of art, science,
and idealism are succeeded by the dark ages of superstition. With the needs
of posterity foremost in mind, the sages of old went to inconceivable
extremes to make certain that their knowledge should be preserved. They
engraved it upon the face of mountains and concealed it within the
measurements of colossal images, each of which was a geometric marvel.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Their knowledge of chemistry and mathematics they hid within mythologies
which the ignorant would perpetuate, or in the spans and arches of their
temples which time has not entirely obliterated. They wrote in characters
that neither the vandalism of men nor the ruthlessness of the elements could
completely efface, Today men gaze with awe and reverence upon the mighty
Memnons standing alone on the sands of Egypt, or upon the strange terraced
pyramids of Palanque. Mute testimonies these are of the lost arts and
sciences of antiquity; and concealed this wisdom must remain until this race
has learned to read the universal language--SYMBOLISM.
The book to which this is the introduction is dedicated to the proposition that
concealed within the emblematic figures, allegories, and rituals of the
ancients is a secret doctrine concerning the inner mysteries of life, which
doctrine has been preserved in toto among a small band of initiated minds
since the beginning of the world. Departing, these illumined philosophers
left their formul that others, too, might attain to understanding. But, lest
these secret processes fall into uncultured hands and be perverted, the Great
Arcanum was always concealed in symbol or allegory; and those who can
today discover its lost keys may open with them a treasure house of
philosophic, scientific, and religious truths.
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There are, however, but few mature minds in the world; and thus it was that
the philosophic-religious doctrines of the pagans were divided to meet the
needs of these two fundamental groups of human intellect--one philosophic,
the other incapable of appreciating the deeper mysteries of life. To the
discerning few were revealed the esoteric, or spiritual, teachings, while the
unqualified many received only the literal, or exoteric, interpretations. In
order to make simple the great truths of Nature and the abstract principles of
natural law, the vital forces of the universe were personified, becoming the
gods and goddesses of the ancient mythologies. While the ignorant
multitudes brought their offerings to the altars of Priapus and Pan (deities
representing the procreative energies), the wise recognized in these marble
statues only symbolic concretions of great abstract truths.
In all cities of the ancient world were temples for public worship and
offering. In every community also were philosophers and mystics, deeply
versed in Nature's lore. These individuals were usually banded together,
forming seclusive philosophic and religious schools. The more important of
these groups were known as the Mysteries. Many of the great minds of
antiquity were initiated into these secret fraternities by strange and
mysterious rites, some of which were extremely cruel. Alexander Wilder
defines the Mysteries as "Sacred dramas performed at stated periods. The
most celebrated were those of Isis, Sabazius, Cybele, and Eleusis." After
being admitted, the initiates were instructed in the secret wisdom which had
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been preserved for ages. Plato, an initiate of one of these sacred orders, was
severely criticized because in his writings he revealed to the public many of
the secret philosophic principles of the Mysteries.
Every pagan nation had (and has) not only its state religion, but another into
which the philosophic elect alone have gained entrance. Many of these
ancient cults vanished from the earth without revealing their secrets, but a
few have survived the test of ages and their mysterious symbols are still
preserved. Much of the ritualism of Freemasonry is based on the trials to
which candidates were subjected by the ancient hierophants before the keys
of wisdom were entrusted to them.
Few realize the extent to which the ancient secret schools influenced
contemporary intellects and, through those minds, posterity. Robert Macoy,
33, in his General History of Freemasonry, pays a magnificent tribute to
the part played by the ancient Mysteries in the rearing of the edifice of
human culture. He says, in part: "It appears that all the perfection of
civilization, and all the advancement made in philosophy, science, and art
among the ancients are due to those institutions which, under the veil of
mystery, sought to illustrate the sublimest truths of religion, morality, and
virtue, and impress them on the hearts of their disciples.* * * Their chief
object was to teach the doctrine of one God, the resurrection of man to
eternal life, the dignity of the human soul, and to lead the people to see the
shadow of the deity, in the beauty, magnificence, and splendor of the
universe."
With the decline of virtue, which has preceded the destruction of every
nation of history, the Mysteries became perverted. Sorcery took the place of
the divine magic. Indescribable practices (such as the Bacchanalia) were
introduced, and perversion ruled supreme; for no institution can be any
better than the members of which it is composed. In despair, the few who
were true sought to preserve the secret doctrines from oblivion. In some
cases they succeeded, but more often the arcanum was lost and only the
empty shell of the Mysteries remained.
Thomas Taylor has written, "Man is naturally a religious animal." From the
earliest dawning of his consciousness, man has worshiped and revered things
as symbolic of the invisible, omnipresent, indescribable Thing, concerning
which he could discover practically nothing. The pagan Mysteries opposed
the Christians during the early centuries of their church, declaring that the
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new faith (Christianity) did not demand virtue and integrity as requisites for
salvation. Celsus expressed himself on the subject in the following caustic
terms:
"That I do not, however, accuse the Christians more bitterly than truth
compels, may be conjectured from hence, that the cryers who call men to
other mysteries proclaim as follows: 'Let him approach whose hands are
pure, and whose words are wise.' And again, others proclaim: 'Let him
approach who is pure from all wickedness, whose soul is not conscious of
any evil, and who leads a just and upright life.' And these things are
proclaimed by those who promise a purification from error. Let us now hear
who those are that are called to the Christian mysteries: Whoever is a sinner,
whoever is unwise, whoever is a fool, and whoever, in short, is miserable,
him the kingdom of God will receive. Do you not, therefore, call a sinner, an
unjust man, a thief, a housebreaker, a wizard, one who is sacrilegious, and a
robber of sepulchres? What other persons would the cryer nominate, who
should call robbers together?"
It was not the true faith of the early Christian mystics that Celsus attacked,
but the false forms that were creeping in even during his day. The ideals of
early Christianity were based upon the high moral standards of the pagan
Mysteries, and the first Christians who met under the city of Rome used as
their places of worship the subterranean temples of Mithras, from whose cult
has been borrowed much of the sacerdotalism of the modem church.
The ancient philosophers believed that no man could live intelligently who
did not have a fundamental knowledge of Nature and her laws. Before man
can obey, he must understand, and the Mysteries were devoted to instructing
man concerning the operation of divine law in the terrestrial sphere. Few of
the early cults actually worshiped anthropomorphic deities, although their
symbolism might lead one to believe they did. They were moralistic rather
than religionistic; philosophic rather than theologic. They taught man to use
his faculties more intelligently, to be patient in the face of adversity, to be
courageous when confronted by danger, to be true in the midst of
temptation, and, most of all, to view a worthy life as the most acceptable
sacrifice to God, and his body as an altar sacred to the Deity.
Sun worship played an important part in nearly all the early pagan
Mysteries. This indicates the probability of their Atlantean origin, for the
people of Atlantis were sun worshipers. The Solar Deity was usually
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
personified as a beautiful youth, with long golden hair to symbolize the rays
of the sun. This golden Sun God was slain by wicked ruffians, who
personified the evil principle of the universe. By means of certain rituals and
ceremonies, symbolic of purification and regeneration, this wonderful God
of Good was brought back to life and became the Savior of His people. The
secret processes whereby He was resurrected symbolized those cultures by
means of which man is able to overcome his lower nature, master his
appetites, and give expression to the higher side of himself. The Mysteries
were organized for the purpose of assisting the struggling human creature to
reawaken the spiritual powers which, surrounded by the flaming
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
bow, a quiver, a torch, and a scythe." The whereabouts of the statue is unknown, the copy reproduced by
Montfaucon being from drawings by Pirro Ligorio.
ring of lust and degeneracy, lay asleep within his soul. In other words, man
was offered a way by which he could regain his lost estate. (See Wagner's
Siegfried.)
In the ancient world, nearly all the secret societies were philosophic and
religious. During the medival centuries, they were chiefly religious and
political, although a few philosophic schools remained. In modern times,
secret societies, in the Occidental countries, are largely political or fraternal,
although in a few of them, as in Masonry, the ancient religious and
philosophic principles still survive.
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The origin of the word Druid is under dispute. Max Mller believes that, like
the Irish word Drui, it means "the men of the oak trees." He further draws
attention to the fact that the forest gods and tree deities of the Greeks were
called dryades. Some believe the word to be of Teutonic origin; others
ascribe it to the Welsh. A few trace it to the Gaelic druidh, which means "a
wise man" or "a sorcerer." In Sanskrit the word dru means "timber."
At the time of the Roman conquest, the Druids were thoroughly ensconced
in Britain and Gaul. Their power over the people was unquestioned, and
there were instances in which armies, about to attack each other, sheathed
their swords when ordered to do so by the white-robed Druids. No
undertaking of great importance was scatted without the assistance of these
patriarchs, who stood as mediators between the gods and men. The Druidic
Order is deservedly credited with having had a deep understanding of Nature
and her laws. The Encyclopdia Britannica states that geography, physical
science, natural theology, and astrology were their favorite studies. The
Druids had a fundamental knowledge of medicine, especially the use of
herbs and simples. Crude surgical instruments also have been found in
England and Ireland. An odd treatise on early British medicine states that
every practitioner was expected to have a garden or back yard for the
growing of certain herbs necessary to his profession. Eliphas Levi, the
celebrated transcendentalist, makes the following significant statement:
"The Druids were priests and physicians, curing by magnetism and charging
amylets with their fluidic influence. Their universal remedies were mistletoe
and serpents' eggs, because these substances attract the astral light in a
special manner. The solemnity with which mistletoe was cut down drew
upon this plant the popular confidence and rendered it powerfully magnetic.
* * * The progress of magnetism will some day reveal to us the absorbing
properties of mistletoe. We shall then understand the secret of those spongy
growths which drew the unused virtues of plants and become surcharged
with tinctures and savors. Mushrooms, truffles, gall on trees, and the
different kinds of mistletoe will be employed with understanding by a
medical science, which will be new because it is old * * * but one must not
move quicker than science, which recedes that it may advance the further. "
(See The History of Magic.)
Not only was the mistletoe sacred as symbolic of the universal medicine, or
panacea, but also because of the fact that it grew upon the oak tree. Through
the symbol of the oak, the Druids worshiped the Supreme Deity; therefore,
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
anything growing upon that tree was sacred to Him. At certain seasons,
according to the positions of the sun, moon, and stars, the Arch-Druid
climbed the oak tree and cut the mistletoe with a golden sickle consecrated
for that service. The parasitic growth was caught in white cloths provided for
the purpose, lest it touch the earth and be polluted by terrestrial vibrations.
Usually a sacrifice of a white bull was made under the tree.
The Druids were initiates of a secret school that existed in their midst. This
school, which closely resembled the Bacchic and Eleusinian Mysteries of
Greece or the Egyptian rites of Isis and Osiris, is justly designated the
Druidic Mysteries. There has been much speculation concerning the secret
wisdom that the Druids claimed to possess. Their secret teachings were
never written, but were communicated orally to specially prepared
candidates. Robert Brown, 32, is of the opinion that the British priests
secured their information from Tyrian and Phnician navigators who,
thousands of years before the Christian Era, established colonies in Britain
and Gaul while searching for tin. Thomas Maurice, in his Indian Antiquities,
discourses at length on Phnician, Carthaginian, and Greek expeditions to
the British Isles for the purpose of procuring tin. Others are of the opinion
that the Mysteries as celebrated by the Druids were of Oriental origin,
possibly Buddhistic.
The proximity of the British Isles to the lost Atlantis may account for the sun
worship which plays an important part in the rituals of Druidism. According
to Artemidorus, Ceres and Persephone were worshiped on an island close to
Britain with rites and ceremonies similar to those of Samothrace. There is no
doubt that the Druidic Pantheon includes a large number of Greek and
Roman deities. This greatly amazed Csar during his conquest of Britain
and Gaul, and caused him to affirm that these tribes adored Mercury, Apollo,
Mars, and Jupiter, in a manner similar to that of the Latin countries. It is
almost certain that the Druidic Mysteries were not indigenous to Britain or
Gaul, but migrated from one of the more ancient civilizations.
The school of the Druids was divided into three distinct parts, and the secret
teachings embodied therein are practically the same as the mysteries
concealed under the allegories of Blue Lodge Masonry. The lowest of the
three divisions was that of Ovate (Ovydd). This was an honorary degree,
requiring no special purification or preparation. The Ovates dressed in green,
the Druidic color of learning, and were expected to know something about
medicine, astronomy, poetry if possible, and sometimes music. An Ovate
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
was an individual admitted to the Druidic Order because of his general
excellence and superior knowledge concerning the problems of life.
The second division was that of Bard (Beirdd). Its members were robed in
sky-blue, to represent harmony and truth, and to them was assigned the labor
of memorizing, at least in part, the twenty thousand verses of Druidic sacred
poetry. They were often pictured with the primitive British or Irish harp--an
instrument strung with human hair, and having as many strings as there were
ribs on one side of the human body. These Bards were often chosen as
teachers of candidates seeking entrance into the Druidic Mysteries.
Neophytes wore striped robes of blue, green, and white, these being the three
sacred colors of the Druidic Order.
The third division was that of Druid (Derwyddon). Its particular labor was to
minister to the religious needs of the people. To reach this dignity, the
candidate must first become a Bard Braint. The Druids always dressed in
white--symbolic of their purity, and the color used by them to symbolize the
sun.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
integrity from the most learned members of the higher Druidic degrees.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
shaven and modestly dressed, but the more aged had long gray beards and
wore magnificent golden ornaments. The educational system of the Druids
in Britain was superior to that of their colleagues on the Continent, and
consequently many of the Gallic youths were sent to the Druidic colleges in
Britain for their philosophical instruction and training.
Eliphas Levi states that the Druids lived in strict abstinence, studied the
natural sciences, preserved the deepest secrecy, and admitted new members
only after long probationary periods. Many of the priests of the order lived
in buildings not unlike the monasteries of the modern world. They were
associated in groups like ascetics of the Far East. Although celibacy was not
demanded of them, few married. Many of the Druids retired from the world
and lived as recluses in caves, in rough-stone houses, or in little shacks built
in the depths of a forest. Here they prayed and medicated, emerging only to
perform their religious duties.
James Freeman Clarke, in his Ten Great Religions, describes the beliefs of
the Druids as follows: "The Druids believed in three worlds and in
transmigration from one to the other: In a world above this, in which
happiness predominated; a world below, of misery; and this present state.
This transmigration was to punish and reward and also to purify the soul. In
the present world, said they, Good and Evil are so exactly balanced that man
has the utmost freedom and is able to choose or reject either. The Welsh
Triads tell us there are three objects of metempsychosis: to collect into the
soul the properties of all being, to acquire a knowledge of all things, and to
get power to conquer evil. There are also, they say, three kinds of
knowledge: knowledge of the nature of each thing, of its cause, and its
influence. There are three things which continually grow less: darkness,
falsehood, and death. There are three which constantly increase: light, life,
and truth."
Like nearly all schools of the Mysteries, the teachings of the Druids were
divided into two distinct sections. The simpler, a moral code, was taught to
all the people, while the deeper, esoteric doctrine was given only to initiated
priests. To be admitted to the order, a candidate was required to be of good
family and of high moral character. No important secrets were intrusted to
him until he had been tempted in many ways and his strength of character
severely tried. The Druids taught the people of Britain and Gaul concerning
the immortality of the soul. They believed in transmigration and apparently
in reincarnation. They borrowed in one life, promising to pay back in the
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next. They believed in a purgatorial type of hell where they would be purged
of their sins, afterward passing on to the happiness of unity with the gods.
The Druids taught that all men would be saved, but that some must return to
earth many times to learn the lessons of human life and to overcome the
inherent evil of their own natures.
Before a candidate was intrusted with the secret doctrines of the Druids, he
was bound with a vow of secrecy. These doctrines were imparted only in the
depths of forests and in the darkness of caves. In these places, far from the
haunts of men, the neophyte was instructed concerning the creation of the
universe, the personalities of the gods, the laws of Nature, the secrets of
occult medicine, the mysteries of the celestial bodies, and the rudiments of
magic and sorcery. The Druids had a great number of feast days. The new
and full moon and the sixth day of the moon were sacred periods. It is
believed that initiations took place only at the two solstices and the two
equinoxes. At dawn of the 25th day of December, the birth of the Sun God
was celebrated.
The secret teachings of the Druids are said by some to be tinctured with
Pythagorean philosophy. The Druids had a Madonna, or Virgin Mother, with
a Child in her arms, who was sacred to their Mysteries; and their Sun God
was resurrected at the time of the year corresponding to that at which
modern Christians celebrate Easter.
Both the cross and the serpent were sacred to the Druids, who made the
former by cutting off all the branches of an oak tree and fastening one of
them to the main trunk in the form of the letter T. This oaken cross became
symbolic of their superior Deity. They also worshiped the sun, moon, and
stars. The moon received their special veneration. Caesar stated that
Mercury was one of the chief deities of the Gauls. The Druids are believed
to have worshiped Mercury under the similitude of a stone cube. They also
had great veneration for the Nature spirits (fairies, gnomes, and undines),
little creatures of the forests and rivers to whom many offerings were made.
Describing the temples of the Druids, Charles Heckethorn, in The Secret
Societies of All Ages & Countries, says:
"Their temples wherein the sacred fire was preserved were generally situate
on eminences and in dense groves of oak, and assumed various forms--
circular, because a circle was the emblem of the universe; oval, in allusion to
the mundane egg, from which issued, according to the traditions of many
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
nations, the universe, or, according to others, our first parents; serpentine,
because a serpent was the symbol of Hu, the Druidic Osiris; cruciform,
because a cross is an emblem of regeneration; or winged, to represent the
motion of the Divine Spirit. * * * Their chief deities were reducible to two--
a male and a female, the great father and mother--Hu and Ceridwen,
distinguished by the same characteristics as belong to Osiris and Isis,
Bacchus and Ceres, or any other supreme god and goddess representing the
two principles of all Being."
Godfrey Higgins states that Hu, the Mighty, regarded as the first settler of
Britain, came from a place which the Welsh Triads call the Summer
Country, the present site of Constantinople. Albert Pike says that the Lost
Word of Masonry is concealed in the name of the Druid god Hu. The meager
information extant concerning the secret initiations of the Druids indicates a
decided similarity between their Mystery school and the schools of Greece
and Egypt. Hu, the Sun God, was murdered and, after a number of strange
ordeals and mystic rituals, was restored to life.
There were three degrees of the Druidic Mysteries, but few successfully
passed them all. The candidate was buried in a coffin, as symbolic of the
death of the Sun God. The supreme test, however, was being sent out to sea
in an open boat. While undergoing this ordeal, many lost their lives.
Taliesin, an ancient scholar, who passed through the Mysteries, describes the
initiation of the open boat in Faber's Pagan Idolatry. The few who passed
this third degree were said to have been "born again," and were instructed in
the secret and hidden truths which the Druid priests had preserved from
antiquity. From these initiates were chosen many of the dignitaries of the
British religious and political world. (For further details, see Faber's Pagan
Idolatry, Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma, and Godfrey Higgins' Celtic
Druids.)
When the Persian Mysteries immigrated into Southern Europe, they were
quickly assimilated by the Latin mind. The cult grew rapidly, especially
among the Roman soldiery, and during the Roman wars of conquest the
teachings were carried by the legionaries to nearly all parts of Europe. So
powerful did the cult of Mithras become that at least one Roman Emperor
was initiated into the order, which met in caverns under the city of Rome.
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Concerning the spread of this Mystery school through different parts of
Europe, C. W. King, in his Gnostics and Their Remains, says:
"Mithraic bas-reliefs cut on the faces of rocks or on stone tablets still abound
in the countries formerly the western provinces of the Roman Empire; many
exist in Germany, still more in France, and in this island (Britain) they have
often been discovered on the line of the Picts' Wall and the noted one at
Bath."
Alexander Wilder, in his Philosophy and Ethics of the Zoroasters, states that
Mithras is the Zend title for the sun, and he is supposed to dwell within that
shining orb. Mithras has a male and a female aspect, though not himself
androgynous. As Mithras, he is the ford of the sun, powerful and radiant, and
most magnificent of the Yazatas (Izads, or Genii, of the sun). As Mithra, this
deity represents the feminine principle; the mundane universe is recognized
as her symbol. She represents Nature as receptive and terrestrial, and as
fruitful only when bathed in the glory of the solar orb. The Mithraic cult is a
simplification of the more elaborate teachings of Zarathustra (Zoroaster), the
Persian fire magician.
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of great uncut stones. How these masses of rock were moved ahs not been satisfactorily explained. The
most famous of their altars, a great stone ring of rocks, is Stonehenge, in Southwestern England. This
structure, laid out on an astronomical basis, still stands, a wonder of antiquity.
When Ormuzd created the earth, Ahriman entered into its grosser elements.
Whenever Ormuzd did a good deed, Ahriman placed the principle of evil
within it. At last when Ormuzd created the human race, Ahriman became
incarnate in the lower nature of man so that in each personality the Spirit of
Good and the Spirit of Evil struggle for control. For 3,000 years Ormuzd
ruled the celestial worlds with light and goodness. Then he created man. For
another 3,000 years he ruled man with wisdom, and integrity. Then the
power of Ahriman began, and the struggle for the soul of man continues
through the next period of 3,000 years. During the fourth period of 3,000
years, the power of Ahriman will be destroyed. Good will return to the world
again, evil and death will be vanquished, and at last the Spirit of Evil will
bow humbly before the throne of Ormuzd. While Ormuzd and Ahriman are
struggling for control of the human soul and for supremacy in Nature,
Mithras, God of Intelligence, stands as mediator between the two. Many
authors have noted the similarity between mercury and Mithras. As the
chemical mercury acts as a solvent (according to alchemists), so Mithras
seeks to harmonize the two celestial opposites.
There are many points of resemblance between Christianity and the cult of
Mithras. One of the reasons for this probably is that the Persian mystics
invaded Italy during the first century after Christ and the early history of
both cults was closely interwoven. The Encyclopdia Britannica makes the
following statement concerning the Mithraic and Christian Mysteries:
"The fraternal and democratic spirit of the first communities, and their
humble origin; the identification of the object of adoration with light and the
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sun; the legends of the shepherds with their gifts and adoration, the flood,
and the ark; the representation in art of the fiery chariot, the drawing of
water from the rock; the use of bell and candle, holy water and the
communion; the sanctification of Sunday and of the 25th of December; the
insistence on moral conduct, the emphasis placed on abstinence and self-
control; the doctrine of heaven and hell, of primitive revelation, of the
mediation of the Logos emanating from the divine, the atoning sacrifice, the
constant warfare between good and evil and the final triumph of the former,
the immortality of the soul, the last judgment, the resurrection of the flesh
and the fiery destruction of the universe--[these] are some of the
resemblances which, whether real or only apparent, enabled Mithraism to
prolong its resistance to Christianity,"
The rites of Mithras were performed in caves. Porphyry, in his Cave of the
Nymphs, states that Zarathustra (Zoroaster) was the first to consecrate a cave
to the worship of God, because a cavern was symbolic of the earth, or the
lower world of darkness. John P. Lundy, in his Monumental Christianity,
describes the cave of Mithras as follows:
"But this cave was adorned with the signs of the zodiac, Cancer and
Capricorn. The summer and winter solstices were chiefly conspicuous, as
the gates of souls descending into this life, or passing out of it in their ascent
to the Gods; Cancer being the gate of descent, and Capricorn of ascent.
These are the two avenues of the immortals passing up and down from earth
to heaven, and from heaven to earth."
The so-called chair of St. Peter, in Rome, was believed to have been used in
one of the pagan Mysteries, possibly that of Mithras, in whose subterranean
grottoes the votaries of the Christian Mysteries met in the early days of their
faith. In Anacalypsis, Godfrey Higgins writes that in 1662, while cleaning
this sacred chair of Bar-Jonas, the Twelve Labors of Hercules were
discovered upon it, and that later the French discovered upon the same chair
the Mohammedan confession of faith, written in Arabic.
Initiation into the rites of Mithras, like initiation into many other ancient
schools of philosophy, apparently consisted of three important degrees.
Preparation for these degrees consisted of self-purification, the building up
of the intellectual powers, and the control of the animal nature. In the first
degree the candidate was given a crown upon the point of a sword and
instructed in the mysteries of Mithras' hidden power. Probably he was taught
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that the golden crown represented his own spiritual nature, which must be
objectified and unfolded before he could truly glorify Mithras; for Mithras
was his own soul, standing as mediator between Ormuzd, his spirit, and
Ahriman, his animal nature. In the second degree he was given the armor of
intelligence and purity and sent into the darkness of subterranean pits to
fight the beasts of lust, passion, and degeneracy. In the third degree he was
given a cape, upon which were drawn or woven the signs of the zodiac and
other astronomical symbols. After his initiations were over, he was hailed as
one who had risen from the dead, was instructed in the secret teachings of
the Persian mystics, and became a full-fledged member of the order.
Candidates who successfully passed the Mithraic initiations were called
Lions and were marked upon their foreheads with the Egyptian cross.
Mithras himself is often pictured with the head of a lion and two pairs of
wings. Throughout the entire ritual were repeated references to the birth of
Mithras as the Sun God, his sacrifice for man, his death that men might have
eternal life, and lastly, his resurrection and the saving of all humanity by his
intercession before the throne of Ormuzd. (See Heckethorn.)
While the cult of Mithras did not reach the philosophic heights attained by
Zarathustra, its effect upon the civilization of the Western world was far-
reaching, for at one time nearly all Europe was converted to its doctrines.
Rome, in her intercourse with other nations, inoculated them with her
religious principles; and many later institutions have exhibited Mithraic
culture. The reference to the "Lion" and the "Grip of the Lion's Paw" in the
Master Mason's degree have a strong Mithraic tinge and may easily have
originated from this cult. A ladder of seven rungs appears in the Mithraic
initiation. Faber is of the opinion that this ladder was originally a pyramid of
seven steps. It is possible that the Masonic ladder with seven rungs had its
origin in this Mithraic symbol. Women were never permitted to enter the
Mithraic Order, but children of the male sex were initiates long before they
reached maturity. The refusal to permit women to join the Masonic Order
may be based on the esoteric reason given in the secret instructions of the
Mithraics. This cult is another excellent example of those secret societies
whose legends are largely symbolic representations of the sun and his
journey through the houses of the heavens. Mithras, rising from a stone, is
merely the sun rising over the horizon, or, as the ancients supposed, out of
the horizon, at the vernal equinox.
John O'Neill disputes the theory that Mithras was intended as a solar deity.
In The Night of the Gods he writes: "The Avestan Mithra, the yazata of light,
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has '10,000 eyes, high, with full knowledge (perethuvaedayana), strong,
sleepless and ever awake (jaghaurvaunghem).'The supreme god Ahura
Mazda also has one Eye, or else it is said that 'with his eyes, the sun, moon
and stars, he sees everything.' The theory that Mithra was originally a title of
the supreme heavens-god--putting the sun out of court--is the only one that
answers all requirements. It will be evident that here we have origins in
abundance for the Freemason's Eye and 'its nunquam dormio.'" The reader
must nor confuse the Persian Mithra with the Vedic Mitra. According to
Alexander Wilder, "The Mithraic rites superseded the Mysteries of Bacchus,
and became the foundation of the Gnostic system, which for many centuries
prevailed in Asia, Egypt, and even the remote West."
The most famous sculpturings and reliefs of this prototokos show Mithras kneeling upon the recumbent
form of a great bull, into whose throat he is driving a sword. The slaying of the bull signifies that the rays
of the sun, symbolized by the sword, release at the vernal equinox the vital essences of the earth--the blood
of the bull--which, pouring from the wound made by the Sun God, fertilize the seeds of living things. Dogs
were held sacred to the cult of Mithras, being symbolic of sincerity and trustworthiness. The Mithraics used
the serpent a an emblem of Ahriman, the Spirit of Evil, and water rats were held sacred to him. The bull is
esoterically the Constellation of Taurus; the serpent, its opposite in the zodiac, Scorpio; the sun, Mithras,
entering into the side of the bull, slays the celestial creature and nourishes the universe with its blood.
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being amassed to the effect that St, Peter was never in Rome, its last possible
vestige of authenticity is rapidly being dissipated.
That Simon was a philosopher there is no doubt, for wherever his exact
words are preserved his synthetic and transcending thoughts are beautifully
expressed. The principles of Gnosticism are well described in the following
verbatim statement by him, supposed to have been preserved by Hippolytus:
"To you, therefore, I say what I say, and write what I write. And the writing
is this. Of the universal ons [periods, planes, or cycles of creative and
created life in substance and space, celestial creatures] there are two shoots,
without beginning or end, springing from one Root, which is the power
invisible, inapprehensible silence [Bythos]. Of these shoots one is
manifested from above, which is the Great Power, the Universal Mind
ordering all things, male, and the other, [is manifested] from below, the
Great Thought, female, producing all things. Hence pairing with each other,
they unite and manifest the Middle Distance, incomprehensible Air, without
beginning or end. In this is the Father Who sustains all things, and nourishes
those things which have a beginning and end." (See Simon Magus, by G. R.
S. Mead.) By this we are to understand that manifestation is the result of a
positive and a negative principle, one acting upon the other, and it takes
place in the middle plane, or point of equilibrium, called the pleroma. This
pleroma is a peculiar substance produced out of the blending of the spiritual
and material ons. Out of the pleroma was individualized the Demiurgus,
the immortal mortal, to whom we are responsible for our physical existence
and the suffering we must go through in connection with it. In the Gnostic
system, three pairs of opposites, called Syzygies, emanated from the Eternal
One. These, with Himself, make the total of seven. The six (three pairs)
ons (living, divine principles) were described by Simon in the
Philosophumena in the following manner: The first two were Mind (Nous)
and Thought (Epinoia). Then came Voice (Phone) and its opposite, Name
(Onoma), and lastly, Reason (Logismos) and Reflection (Enthumesis). From
these primordial six, united with the Eternal Flame, came forth the ons
(Angels) who formed the lower worlds through the direction of the
Demiurgus. (See the works of H. P. Blavatsky.) How this first Gnosticism of
Simon Magus and Menander, his disciple, was amplified, and frequently
distorted, by later adherents to the cult must now be considered.
The School of Gnosticism was divided into two major parts, commonly
called the Syrian Cult and the Alexandrian Cult. These schools agreed in
essentials, but the latter division was more inclined to be pantheistic, while
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the former was dualistic. While the Syrian cult was largely Simonian, the
Alexandrian School was the outgrowth of the philosophical deductions of a
clever Egyptian Christian, Basilides by name, who claimed to have received
his instructions from the Apostle Matthew. Like Simon Magus, he was an
emanationist, with Neo-Platonic inclinations. In fact, the entire Gnostic
Mystery is based upon the hypothesis of emanations as being the logical
connection between the irreconcilable opposites Absolute Spirit and
Absolute Substance, which the Gnostics believed to have been coexistent in
Eternity. Some assert that Basilides was the true founder of Gnosticism, but
there is much evidence to the effect that Simon Magus laid down its
fundamental principles in the preceding century.
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powers of the universe were divided into 365 ons, or spiritual cycles, and
that the sum of all these together was the Supreme Father, and to Him he
gave the Qabbalistical appellation Abraxas, as being symbolical,
numerologically, of His divine powers, attributes, and emanations. Abraxas
is usually symbolized as a composite creature, with the body of a human
being and the head of a rooster, and with each of his legs ending in a serpent.
C. W. King, in his Gnostics and Their Remains, gives the following concise
description of the Gnostic philosophy of Basilides, quoting from the writings
of the early Christian bishop and martyr, St. Irenus: "He asserted that God,
the uncreated, eternal Father, had first brought forth Nous, or Mind; this the
Logos, Word; this again Phronesis, Intelligence; from Phronesis sprung
Sophia, Wisdom, and Dynamis, Strength."
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In describing Abraxas, C. W. King says: "Bellermann considers the
composite image, inscribed with the actual name Abraxas, to be a Gnostic
Pantheos, representing the Supreme Being, with the Five Emanations
marked out by appropriate symbols. From the human body, the usual form
assigned to the Deity, spring the two supporters, Nous and Logos, expressed
in the serpents, symbols of the inner senses, and the quickening
understanding; on which account the Greeks had made the serpent the
attribute of Pallas. His head--that of a cock--represents Phronesis, that bird
being the emblem of foresight and of vigilance. His two arms hold the
symbols of Sophia and Dynamis: the shield of Wisdom and the whip of
Power."
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that Simon, the Cyrenian, offered his life instead and that the Nous, by
means of its power, caused Simon to resemble Jesus. Irenus makes the
following statement concerning the cosmic sacrifice of the Christ:
The Gnostics divided humanity into three parts: those who, as savages,
worshiped only the visible Nature; those who, like the Jews, worshiped the
Demiurgus; and lastly, themselves, or others of a similar cult, including
certain sects of Christians, who worshiped Nous (Christ) and the true
spiritual light of the higher ons.
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The most common theory, however, regarding the origin of the name
Serapis is that which traces its derivation from the compound Osiris-Apis.
At one time the Egyptians believed that the dead were absorbed into the
nature of Osiris, the god of the dead. While marked similarity exists between
Osiris-Apis and Serapis, the theory advanced by Egyptologists that Serapis
is merely a name given to the dead Apis, or sacred bull of Egypt, is
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untenable in view of the transcendent wisdom possessed by the Egyptian
priestcraft, who, in all probability, used the god to symbolize the soul of the
world (anima mundi). The material body of Nature was called Apis; the soul
which escaped from the body at death but was enmeshed with the form
during physical life was designated Serapis.
Among other meanings suggested for the word Serapis are: "The Sacred
Bull," "The Sun in Taurus," "The Soul of Osiris," "The Sacred Serpent," and
"The Retiring of the Bull." The last appellation has reference to the
ceremony of drowning the sacred Apis in the waters of the Nile every
twenty-five years.
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A SYMBOLIC LABYRINTH
In his Isis and Osiris, Plutarch gives the following account of the origin of
the magnificent statue of Serapis which stood in the Serapeum at
Alexandria:
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image at Sinope. The Pharaoh immediately dispatched Soteles and
Dionysius to negotiate for the removal of the figure to Alexandria. Three
years elapsed before the image was finally obtained, the representatives of
the Pharaoh finally stealing it and concealing the theft by spreading a story
that the statue had come to life and, walking down the street leading from its
temple, had boarded the ship prepared for its transportation to Alexandria.
Upon its arrival in Egypt, the figure was brought into the presence of two
Egyptian Initiates--the Eumolpid Timotheus and Manetho the Sebennite--
who, immediately pronounced it to be Serapis. The priests then declared that
it was equipollent to Pluto. This was a masterly stroke, for in Serapis the
Greeks and Egyptians found a deity in common and thus religious unity was
consummated between the two nations.
Several figures of Serapis that stood in his various temples in Egypt and
Rome have been described by early authors. Nearly all these showed
Grecian rather than Egyptian influence. In some the body of the god was
encircled by the coils of a great serpent. Others showed him as a composite
of Osiris and Apis.
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manner of Egyptian stones, including sapphires, hematites, emeralds, and
topazes; all these being ground down and mixed together with the coloring
matter left over from the funeral of Osiris and Apis. The result was a rare
and curious figure, indigo in color. Some of the statues of Serapis must have
been formed of extremely hard substances, for when a Christian soldier,
carrying out the edict of Theodosius, struck the Alexandrian Serapis with his
ax, that instrument was shattered into fragments and sparks flew from it. It is
also quite probable that Serapis was worshiped in the form of a serpent, in
common with many of the higher deities of the Egyptian and Greek
pantheons.
Serapis was called Theon Heptagrammaton, or the god with the name of
seven letters. The name Serapis (like Abraxas and Mithras) contains seven
letters. In their hymns to Serapis the priests chanted the seven vowels.
Occasionally Serapis is depicted with horns or a coronet of seven rays.
These evidently represented the seven divine intelligences manifesting
through the solar light. The Encyclopdia Britannica notes that the earliest
authentic mention of Serapis is in connection with the death of Alexander.
Such was the prestige of Serapis that he alone of the gods was consulted in
behalf of the dying king.
The Egyptian secret school of philosophy was divided into the Lesser and
the Greater Mysteries, the former being sacred to Isis and the latter to
Serapis and Osiris. Wilkinson is of the opinion that only the priests were
permitted to enter the Greater Mysteries. Even the heir to the throne was not
eligible until he had been crowned Pharaoh, when, by virtue of his kingly
office, he automatically became a priest and the temporal head of the state
religion. (See Wilkinson's Manners and Customs of the Egyptians.) A
limited number were admitted into the Greater Mysteries: these preserved
their secrets inviolate.
Much of the information concerning the rituals of the higher degrees of the
Egyptian Mysteries has been gleaned from an examination of the chambers
and passageways in which the initiations were given. Under the temple of
Serapis destroyed by Theodosius were found strange mechanical
contrivances constructed by the priests in the subterranean crypts and
caverns where the nocturnal initiatory rites were celebrated. These machines
indicate the severe tests of moral and physical courage undergone by the
candidates. After passing through these tortuous ways, the neophytes who
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Survived the ordeals were ushered into the presence of Serapis, a noble and
awe-inspiring figure illumined by unseen lights.
The Gnostic Mysteries were acquainted with the arcane meaning of Serapis,
and through the medium of Gnosticism this god became inextricably
associated with early Christianity. In fact, the Emperor Hadrian, while
traveling in Egypt in A.D. 24, declared in a letter to Servianus that the
worshipers of Serapis were Christians and that the Bishops of the church
also worshiped at his shrine. He even declared that the Patriarch himself,
when in Egypt, was forced to adore Serapis as well as Christ. (See Parsons'
New Light on the Great Pyramid.)
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Socrates, a church historian of the fifth century, declared that after the pious
Christians had razed the Serapeum at Alexandria and scattered the demons
who dwelt there under the guise of gods, beneath the foundations was found
the monogram of Christ!
Two quotations will further establish the relationship existing between the
Mysteries of Serapis and those of other ancient peoples. The first is from
Richard Payne Knight's Symbolical Language of Ancient Art and Mythology:
"Hence Varro [in De Lingua Latina] says that Clum and Terra, that is
universal mind and productive body, were the Great Gods of the
Samothracian Mysteries; and the same as the Serapis and Isis of the later
gyptians: the Taautos and Astarte of the Phnicians, and the Saturn and
Ops of the Latins." The second quotation is from Albert Pike's Morals and
Dogma: "'Thee,' says Martianus Capella, in his hymn to the Sun, 'dwellers
on the Nile adore as Serapis, and Memphis worships as Osiris: in the sacred
rites of Persia thou art Mithras, in Phrygia, Atys, and Libya bows down to
thee as Ammon, and Phnician Byblos as Adonis; thus the whole world
adores thee under different names.'"
The date of the founding of the Odinic Mysteries is uncertain, some writers
declaring that they were established in the first century before Christ; others,
the first century after Christ. Robert Macoy, 33, gives the following
description of their origin: "It appears from the northern chronicles that in
the first century of the Christian Era, Sigge, the chief of the Aser, an Asiatic
tribe, emigrated from the Caspian sea and the Caucasus into northern
Europe. He directed his course northwesterly from the Black sea to Russia,
over which, according to tradition, he placed one of his sons as a ruler, as he
is said to have done over the Saxons and the Franks. He then advanced
through Cimbria to Denmark, which acknowledged his fifth son Skiold as its
sovereign, and passed over to Sweden, where Gylf, who did homage to the
wonderful stranger, and was initiated into his mysteries, then ruled. He soon
made himself master here, built Sigtuna as the capital of his empire, and
promulgated a new code of laws, and established the sacred mysteries. He,
himself, assumed the name of Odin, founded the priesthood of the twelve
Drottars (Druids?) who conducted the secret worship, and the administration
of justice, and, as prophets, revealed the future. The secret rites of these
mysteries celebrated the death of Balder, the beautiful and lovely, and
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represented the grief of Gods and men at his death, and his restoration to
life." (General History of Freemasonry.)
After his death, the historical Odin was apotheosized, his identity being
merged into that of the mythological Odin, god of wisdom, whose cult he
had promulgated. Odinism then supplanted the worship of Thor, the
thunderer, the supreme deity of the ancient Scandinavian pantheon. The
mound where, according to legend, King Odin was buried is still to be seen
near the site of his great temple at Upsala.
The twelve Drottars who presided over the Odinic Mysteries evidently
personified the twelve holy and ineffable names of Odin. The rituals of the
Odinic Mysteries were very similar to those of the Greeks, Persians, and
Brahmins, after which they were patterned. The Drottars, who symbolized
the signs of the zodiac, were the custodians of the arts and sciences, which
they revealed to those who passed successfully the ordeals of initiation. Like
many other pagan cults, the Odinic Mysteries, as an institution, were
destroyed by Christianity, but the underlying cause of their fall was the
corruption of the priesthood.
The Supreme, invisible Creator of all things was called All-Father. His
regent in Nature was Odin, the one-eyed god. Like Quetzalcoatl, Odin was
elevated to the dignity of the Supreme Deity. According to the Drottars, the
universe was fashioned from the body of Ymir, the hoarfrost giant. Ymir was
formed from the clouds of mist that rose from Ginnungagap, the great cleft
in chaos into which the primordial frost giants and flame giants had hurled
snow and fire. The three gods--Odin, Vili, and Ve--slew Ymir and from him
formed the world. From Ymir's various members the different parts of
Nature were fashioned.
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and the boar whose flesh they ate renewed itself as rapidly as it was
consumed.
After wandering for hours through the intricate passageways, the candidate
was ushered into the presence of a statue of Balder the Beautiful, the
prototype of all initiates into the Mysteries. This figure stood in the center of
a great apartment roofed with shields. In the midst of the chamber stood a
plant with seven blossoms, emblematic of the planers. In this room, which
symbolized the house of the sir, or Wisdom, the neophyte took his oath of
secrecy and piety upon the naked blade of a sword. He drank the sanctified
mead from a bowl made of a human skull and, having passed successfully
through all the tortures and trials designed to divert him from the course of
wisdom, he was finally permitted to unveil the mystery of Odin--the
personification of wisdom. He was presented, in the name of Balder, with
the sacred ring of the order; he was hailed as a man reborn; and it was said
of him that he had died and had been raised again without passing through
the gates of death.
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Richard Wagner's immortal composition, Der Ring des Nibelungen, is based
upon the Mystery rituals of the Odinic cult. While the great composer took
many liberties with the original story, the Ring Operas, declared to be the
grandest tetralogy of music dramas the world possesses, have caught and
preserved in a remarkable manner the majesty and power of the original
sagas. Beginning with Das Rheingold, the action proceeds through Die
Walkre and Siegfried to an awe-inspiring climax in Gtterdmmerung,
"The Twilight of the Gods."
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the abode of the dead, which is located at the very lowest point of the universe. It is to be understood that
all of these worlds are invisible to the senses, except Midgard, the home of human creatures, but during the
process of initiation the soul of the candidate--liberated from its earthly sheath by the secret power of the
priests--wanders amidst the inhabitants of these various spheres. There is undoubtedly a relationship
between the nine worlds of the Scandinavians and the nine spheres, or planes, through which initiates of
the Eleusinian Mysteries passed in their ritual of regeneration.
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THE most famous of the ancient religious Mysteries were the Eleusinian,
whose rites were celebrated every five years in the city of Eleusis to honor
Ceres (Demeter, Rhea, or Isis) and her daughter, Persephone. The initiates of
the Eleusinian School were famous throughout Greece for the beauty of their
philosophic concepts and the high standards of morality which they
demonstrated in their daily lives. Because of their excellence, these
Mysteries spread to Rome and Britain, and later the initiations were given in
both these countries. The Eleusinian Mysteries, named for the community in
Attica where the sacred dramas were first presented, are generally believed
to have been founded by Eumolpos about fourteen hundred years before the
birth of Christ, and through the Platonic system of philosophy their
principles have been preserved to modern times.
The rites of Eleusis were divided into what were called the Lesser and the
Greater Mysteries. According to James Gardner, the Lesser Mysteries were
celebrated in the spring (probably at the time of the vernal equinox) in the
town of Agr, and the Greater, in the fall (the time of the autumnal equinox)
at Eleusis or Athens. It is supposed that the former were given annually and
the latter every five years. The rituals of the Eleusinians were highly
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involved, and to understand them required a deep study of Greek mythology,
which they interpreted in its esoteric light with the aid of their secret keys.
The legend used in the Lesser rites is that of the abduction of the goddess
Persephone, the daughter of Ceres, by Pluto, the lord of the underworld, or
Hades. While Persephone is picking flowers in a beautiful meadow, the earth
suddenly opens and the gloomy lord of death, riding in a magnificent
chariot, emerges from its somber depths and, grasping her in his arms,
carries the screaming and struggling goddess to his subterranean palace,
where he forces her to become his queen.
The gloom and depression of the Lesser Mysteries represented the agony of
the spiritual soul unable to express itself because it has accepted the
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limitations and illusions of the human environment. The crux of the
Eleusinian argument was that man is neither better nor wiser after death than
during life. If he does not rise above ignorance during his sojourn here, man
goes at death into eternity to wander about forever, making the same
mistakes which he made here. If he does not outgrow the desire for material
possessions here, he will carry it with him into the invisible world, where,
because he can never gratify the desire, he will continue in endless agony.
Dante's Inferno is symbolically descriptive of the sufferings of those who
never freed their spiritual natures from the cravings, habits, viewpoints, and
limitations of their Plutonic personalities. Those who made no endeavor to
improve themselves (whose souls have slept) during their physical lives,
passed at death into Hades, where, lying in rows, they slept through all
eternity as they had slept through life.
To the Eleusinian philosophers, birch into the physical world was death in
the fullest sense of the word, and the only true birth was that of the spiritual
soul of man rising out of the womb of his own fleshly nature. "The soul is
dead that slumbers," says Longfellow, and in this he strikes the keynote of
the Eleusinian Mysteries. Just as Narcissus, gazing at himself in the water
(the ancients used this mobile element to symbolize the transitory,
illusionary, material universe) lost his life trying to embrace a reflection, so
man, gazing into the mirror of Nature and accepting as his real self the
senseless clay that he sees reflected, loses the opportunity afforded by
physical life to unfold his immortal, invisible Self.
An ancient initiate once said that the living are ruled by the dead. Only those
conversant with the Eleusinian concept of life could understand that
statement. It means that the majority of people are not ruled by their living
spirits but by their senseless (hence dead) animal personalities.
Transmigration and reincarnation were taught in these Mysteries, but in a
somewhat unusual manner. It was believed that at midnight the invisible
worlds were closest to the Terrestrial sphere and that souls coming into
material existence slipped in during the midnight hour. For this reason many
of the Eleusinian
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In his Disquisitions upon the Painted Greek Vases, James Christie presents Meursius' version of the
occurrences taking place during the nine days required for the enactment of the Greater Eleusinian Rites.
The first day was that of general meeting, during which those to be initiated were questioned concerning
their several qualifications. The second day was spent in a procession to the sea, possibly for the
submerging of a image of the presiding goddess. The third day was opened by the sacrifice of a mullet. On
the fourth day the mystic basket containing certain sacred symbols was brought to Eleusis, accompanied by
a number of female devotees carrying smaller baskets. On the evening of the fifth day there was a torch
race, on the sixth a procession led by a statue of Iacchus, and on the seventh an athletic contest. The eighth
day was devoted to a repetition of the ceremonial for the benefit of any who might have been prevented
from coming sooner. The ninth and last day was devoted to the deepest philosophical issues of the
Eleusinia, during which an urn or jar--the symbol of Bacchus--was exhibited as an emblem of supreme
importance.
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floated around in the invisible worlds, surrounded by a darkness of their own
making, occasionally slipped through at this hour and assumed the forms of
various creatures.
The mystics of Eleusis also laid stress upon the evil of suicide, explaining
that there was a profound mystery concerning this crime of which they could
not speak, but warning their disciples that a great sorrow comes to all who
take their own lives. This, in substance, constitutes the esoteric doctrine
given to the initiates of the Lesser Mysteries. As the degree dealt largely
with the miseries of those who failed to make the best use of their
philosophic opportunities, the chambers of initiation were subterranean and
the horrors of Hades were vividly depicted in a complicated ritualistic
drama. After passing successfully through the tortuous passageways, with
their trials and dangers, the candidate received the honorary title of Mystes.
This meant one who saw through a veil or had a clouded vision. It also
signified that the candidate had been brought up to the veil, which would be
torn away in the higher degree. The modern word mystic, as referring to a
seeker after truth according to the dictates of the heart along the path of
faith, is probably derived from this ancient word, for faith is belief in the
reality of things unseen or veiled.
The Greater Mysteries (into which the candidate was admitted only after he
had successfully passed through the ordeals of the Lesser, and not always
then) were sacred to Ceres, the mother of Persephone, and represent her as
wandering through the world in quest of her abducted daughter. Ceres
carried two torches, intuition and reason, to aid her in the search for her lost
child (the soul). At last she found Persephone not far from Eleusis, and out
of gratitude taught the people there to cultivate corn, which is sacred to her.
She also founded the Mysteries. Ceres appeared before Pluto, god of the
souls of the dead, and pleaded with him to allow Persephone to return to her
home. This the god at first refused to do, because Persephone had eaten of
the pomegranate, the fruit of mortality. At last, however, he compromised
and agreed to permit Persephone to live in the upper world half of the year if
she would stay with him in the darkness of Hades for the remaining half.
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the profane and uninitiated had their own opinions on these subjects, the
truths of the Greek allegories remained safely concealed by the priests, who
alone recognized the sublimity of these great philosophic and religious
parables.
Just as the Lesser Mysteries discussed the prenatal epoch of man when the
consciousness in its nine days (embryologically, months) was descending
into the realm of illusion and assuming the veil of unreality, so the Greater
Mysteries discussed the principles of spiritual regeneration and revealed to
initiates not only the simplest but also the most direct and complete method
of liberating their higher natures from the bondage of material ignorance.
Like Prometheus chained to the top of Mount Caucasus, man's higher nature
is chained to his inadequate personality. The nine days of initiation were also
symbolic of the nine spheres through which the human soul descends during
the process of assuming a terrestrial form. The secret exercises for spiritual
unfoldment given to disciples of the higher degrees are unknown, but there
is every reason to believe that they were similar to the Brahmanic Mysteries,
since it is known that the Eleusinian ceremonies were closed with the
Sanskrit words "Konx Om Pax."
That part of the allegory referring to the two six-month periods during one of
which Persephone must remain with Pluto, while during the other she may
revisit the upper world, offers material for deep consideration. It is probable
that the Eleusinians realized that the soul left the body during steep, or at
least was made capable of leaving by the special training which undoubtedly
they were in a position to give. Thus Persephone would remain as the queen
of Pluto's realm during the waking hours, but would ascend to the spiritual
worlds during the periods of sleep. The initiate was taught how to intercede
with Pluto to permit Persephone (the initiate's soul) to ascend from the
darkness of his material nature into the light of understanding. When thus
freed from the shackles of clay and crystallized concepts, the initiate was
liberated not only for the period of his life but for all eternity, for never
thereafter was he divested of those soul qualities which after death were his
vehicles for manifestation and expression in the so-called heaven world.
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In contrast to the idea of Hades as a state of darkness below, the gods were
said to inhabit the tops of mountains, a well-known example being Mount
Olympus, where the twelve deities of the Greek pantheon were said to dwell
together. In his initiatory wanderings the neophyte therefore entered
chambers of ever-increasing brilliancy to portray the ascent of the spirit from
the lower worlds into the realms of bliss. As the climax to such wanderings
he entered a great vaulted room, in the center of which stood a brilliantly
illumined statue of the goddess Ceres. Here, in the presence of the
hierophant and surrounded by priests in magnificent robes, he was instructed
in the highest of the secret mysteries of the Eleusis. At the conclusion of this
ceremony he was hailed as an Epoptes, which means one who has beheld or
seen directly. For this reason also initiation was termed autopsy. The
Epoptes was then given certain sacred books, probably written in cipher,
together with tablets of stone on which secret instructions were engraved.
"I approached to the confines of death, and having trod on the threshold of
Proserpine I, returned from it, being carried through all the elements. At
midnight I saw the sun shining with a splendid light; and I manifestly drew
near to, the gods beneath, and the gods above, and proximately adored
them."
Women and children were admitted to the Eleusinian Mysteries, and at one
time there were literally thousands of initiates. Because this vast host was
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not prepared for the highest spiritual and mystical doctrines, a division
necessarily took place within the society itself. The higher teachings were
given to only a limited number of initiates who, because of superior
mentality, showed a comprehensive grasp of their underlying philosophical
concepts. Socrates refused to be initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries, for
knowing its principles without being a member of the order he realized that
membership would seal his tongue. That the Mysteries of Eleusis were based
upon great and eternal truths is attested by the veneration in which they were
held by the great minds of the ancient world. M. Ouvaroff asks, "Would
Pindar, Plato, Cicero, Epictetus, have spoken of them with such admiration,
if the hierophant had satisfied himself with loudly proclaiming his own
opinions, or those of his order?"
The garments in which candidates were initiated were preserved for many
years and were believed to possess almost sacred properties. Just as the soul
can have no covering save wisdom and virtue, so the candidates--being as
yet without true knowledge--were presented to the Mysteries unclothed,
being first: given the skin of an animal and later a consecrated robe to
symbolize the philosophical teachings received by the initiate. During the
course of initiation the candidate
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Ceres, or Demeter, was the daughter of Kronos and Rhea, and by Zeus the mother of Persephone. Some
believe her to be the goddess of the earth, but more correctly she is the deity protecting agriculture in
general and corn in particular. The Poppy is sacred to Ceres and she is often shown carrying or
ornamented by a garland of these flowers. In the Mysteries, Ceres represented riding in a chariot drawn by
winged serpents.
In the Anacalypsis, Godfrey Higgins conclusively establishes Bacchus (Dionysos) as one of the early pagan
forms of the Christos myth, "The birthplace of Bacchus, called Sabazius or Sabaoth, was claimed by
several places in Greece; but on Mount Zelmisus, in Thrace, his worship seems to have been chiefly
celebrated. He was born of a virgin on the 25th of December; he performed great miracles for the good of
mankind; particularly one in which he changed water into wine; he rode in a triumphal procession on an
ass; he was put to death by the Titans, and rose again from the dead on the 25th of March: he was always
called the Saviour. In his mysteries, he was shown to the people, as an infant is by the Christians at this
day, on Christmas Day morning in Rome."
While Apollo most generally represents the sun, Bacchus is also a form of solar energy, for his resurrection
was accomplished with the assistance of Apollo. The resurrection of Bacchus signifies merely the
extraction or disentanglement of the various Parts of the Bacchic constitution from the Titanic constitution
of the world. This is symbolized by the smoke or soot rising from the burned bodies of the Titans. The soul
is symbolized by smoke because it is extracted by the fire of the Mysteries. Smoke signifies the ascension of
the soul, far evolution is the process of the soul rising, like smoke, from the divinely consumed material
mass. At me time the Bacchic Rites were of a high order, but later they became much degraded . The
Bacchanalia, or orgies of Bacchus, are famous in literature.
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passed through two gates. The first led downward into the lower worlds and
symbolized his birth into ignorance. The second led upward into a room
brilliantly lighted by unseen lamps, in which was the statue of Ceres and
which symbolized the upper world, or the abode of Light and Truth. Strabo
states that the great temple of Eleusis would hold between twenty and thirty
thousand people. The caves dedicated by Zarathustra also had these two
doors, symbolizing the avenues of birth and death.
Orpheus, the Thracian bard, the great initiator of the Greeks, ceased to be
known as a man and was celebrated as a divinity several centuries before the
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Christian Era. "As to Orpheus himself * * *, " writes Thomas Taylor,
"scarcely a vestige of his life is to be found amongst the immense ruins of
time. For who has ever been able to affirm any thing with certainty of his
origin, his age, his country, and condition? This alone may be depended on,
from general assent, that there formerly lived a person named Orpheus, who
was the founder of theology among the Greeks; the institutor of their lives
and morals; the first of prophets, and the prince of poets; himself the
offspring of a Muse; who taught the Greeks their sacred rites and mysteries,
and from whose wisdom, as from a perennial and abundant fountain, the
divine muse of Homer and the sublime theology of Pythagoras and Plato
flowed." (See The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus.)
The romance of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of the tragic episodes of Greek
mythology and apparently constitutes the outstanding feature of the Orphic
Rite. Eurydice, in her attempt to escape from a villain seeking to seduce her,
died from the venom of a poisonous serpent which stung her in the heel.
Orpheus, penetrating to the very heart of the underworld, so charmed Pluto
and Persephone with the beauty of his music that they agreed to permit
Eurydice to return to life if Orpheus could lead her back to the sphere of the
living without once looking round to see if she were following. So great was
his fear, however, that she would stray from him that he turned his head, and
Eurydice with a heartbroken cry was swept back into the land of death.
Orpheus wandered the earth for a while disconsolate, and there are several
conflicting accounts of the manner of his death. Some declare that he was
slain by a bolt of lightning; others, that failing to save his beloved Eurydice,
he committed suicide. The generally accepted version of his death, however,
is that he was torn to pieces by Ciconian women whose advances he had
spurned. In the tenth book of Plato's Republic it is declared that, because of
his sad fate at the hands of women, the soul that had once been Orpheus,
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upon being destined to live again in the physical world, chose rather to
return in the body of a swan than be born of woman. The head of Orpheus,
after being torn from his body, was cast with his lyre into the river Hebrus,
down which it floated to the sea, where, wedging in a cleft in a rock, it gave
oracles for many years. The lyre, after being stolen from its shrine and
working the destruction of the thief, was picked up by the gods and
fashioned into a constellation.
Orpheus has long been sung as the patron of music. On his seven-stringed
lyre he played such perfect harmonies that the gods themselves were moved
to acclaim his power. When he touched the strings of his instrument the
birds and beasts gathered about him, and as he wandered through the forests
his enchanting melodies caused even the ancient trees with mighty effort to
draw their gnarled roots from out the earth and follow him. Orpheus is one
of the many Immortals who have sacrificed themselves that mankind might
have the wisdom of the gods. By the symbolism of his music he
communicated the divine secrets to humanity, and several authors have
declared that the gods, though loving him, feared that he would overthrow
their kingdom and therefore reluctantly encompassed his destruction.
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incarnating in the white swan merely signifies that the spiritual truths he
promulgated will continue and will be taught by the illumined initiates of all
future ages. The swan is the symbol of the initiates of the Mysteries; it is a
symbol also of the divine power which is the progenitor of the world.
The Bacchic Rite centers around the allegory of the youthful Bacchus
(Dionysos or Zagreus) being torn to pieces by the Titans. These giants
accomplished the destruction of Bacchus by causing him to become
fascinated by his own image in a mirror. After dismembering him, the Titans
first boiled the pieces in water and afterwards roasted them. Pallas rescued
the heart of the murdered god, and by this precaution Bacchus (Dionysos)
was enabled to spring forth again in all his former glory. Jupiter, the
Demiurgus, beholding the crime of the Titans, hurled his thunderbolts and
slew them, burning their bodies to ashes with heavenly fire. Our of the ashes
of the Titans--which also contained a portion of the flesh of Bacchus, whose
body they had partly devoured--the human race was created. Thus the
mundane life of every man was said to contain a portion of the Bacchic life.
For this reason the Greek Mysteries warned against suicide. He who
attempts to destroy himself raises his hand against the nature of Bacchus
within him, since man's body is indirectly the tomb of this god and
consequently must be preserved with the greatest care.
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man does not know the gods by logic or by reason but rather by realizing the
presence of the gods within himself.
After Bacchus gazed into the mirror and followed his own reflection into
matter, the rational soul of the world was broken up and distributed by the
Titans throughout the mundane sphere of which it is the essential nature, but
the heart, or source, of it they could not: scatter. The Titans took the
dismembered body of Bacchus and boiled it in water--symbol of immersion
in the material universe--which represents the incorporation of the Bacchic
principle in form. The pieces were afterwards roasted to signify the
subsequent ascension of the spiritual nature out of form.
When Jupiter, the father of Bacchus and the Demiurgus of the universe, saw
that the Titans were hopelessly involving the rational or divine idea by
scattering its members through the constituent parts of the lower world, he
slew the Titans in order that the divine idea might not be entirely lost. From
the ashes of the Titans he formed mankind, whose purpose of existence was
to preserve and eventually to release the Bacchic idea, or rational soul, from
the Titanic fabrication. Jupiter, being the Demiurgus and fabricator of the
material universe, is the third person of the Creative Triad, consequently the
Lord of Death, for death exists only in the lower sphere of being over which
he presides. Disintegration takes place so that reintegration may follow upon
a higher level of form or intelligence. The thunderbolts of Jupiter are
emblematic of his disintegrative power; they reveal the purpose of death,
which is to rescue the rational soul from the devouring power of the
irrational nature.
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placed in the ether. The heart of Bacchus is the immortal center of the
rational soul.
After the rational soul had been distributed throughout creation and the
nature of man, the Bacchic Mysteries were instituted for the purpose of
disentangling it from the irrational Titanic nature. This disentanglement was
the process of lifting the soul out of the state of separateness into that of
unity. The various parts and members of Bacchus were collected from the
different corners of the earth. When all the rational parts are gathered
Bacchus is resurrected.
The Rites of Dionysos were very similar to those of Bacchus, and by many
these two gods are considered as one. Statues of Dionysos were carried in
the Eleusinian Mysteries, especially the lesser degrees. Bacchus,
representing the soul of the mundane sphere, was capable of an infinite
multiplicity of form and designations. Dionysos apparently was his solar
aspect.
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"After a long period of disdainful indifference," writes M. Termier, "observe
how in the last few years science is returning to the study of Atlantis. How
many naturalists, geologists, zoologists, or botanists are asking one another
today whether Plato has not transmitted to us, with slight amplification, a
page from the actual history of mankind. No affirmation is yet permissible;
but it seems more and more evident that a vast region, continental or made
up of great islands, has collapsed west of the Pillars of Hercules, otherwise
called the Strait of Gibraltar, and that its collapse occurred in the not far
distant past. In any event, the question of Atlantis is placed anew before men
of science; and since I do not believe that it can ever be solved without the
aid of oceanography, I have thought it natural to discuss it here, in this
temple of maritime science, and to call to such a problem, long scorned but
now being revived, the attention of oceanographers, as well as the attention
of those who, though immersed in the tumult of cities, lend an ear to the
distant murmur of the sea."
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five pairs of male children. Poseidon apportioned his continent among these
ten, and Atlas, the eldest, he made overlord of the other nine. Poseidon
further called the country Atlantis and the surrounding sea the Atlantic in
honor of Atlas. Before the birth of his ten sons, Poseidon divided the
continent and the coastwise sea into concentric zones of land and water,
which were as perfect as though turned upon a lathe. Two zones of land and
three of water surrounded the central island, which Poseidon caused to be
irrigated with two springs of water--one warm and the other cold.
Plato then describes the white, black, and red stones which they quarried
from beneath their continent and used in the construction of public buildings
and docks. They circumscribed each of the land zones with a wall, the outer
wall being covered with brass, the middle with tin, and the inner, which
encompassed the citadel, with orichalch. The citadel, on the central island,
contained the pal aces, temples, and other public buildings. In its center,
surrounded by a wall of gold, was a sanctuary dedicated to Cleito and
Poseidon. Here the first ten princes of the island were born and here each
year their descendants brought offerings. Poseidon's own temple, its exterior
entirely covered with silver and its pinnacles with gold, also stood within the
citadel. The interior of the temple was of ivory, gold, silver, and orichalch,
even to the pillars and floor. The temple contained a colossal statue of
Poseidon standing in a chariot drawn by six winged horses, about him a
hundred Nereids riding on dolphins. Arranged outside the building were
golden statues of the first ten kings and their wives.
In the groves and gardens were hot and cold springs. There were numerous
temples to various deities, places of exercise for men and for beasts, public
baths, and a great race course for horses. At various vantage points on the
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zones were fortifications, and to the great harbor came vessels from every
maritime nation. The zones were so thickly populated that the sound of
human voices was ever in the air.
That part of Atlantis facing the sea was described as lofty and precipitous,
but about the central city was a plain sheltered by mountains renowned for
their size, number, and beauty. The plain yielded two crops each year,, in the
winter being watered by rains and in the summer by immense irrigation
canals, which were also used for transportation. The plain was divided into
sections, and in time of war each section supplied its quota of fighting men
and chariots.
The ten governments differed from each other in details concerning military
requirements. Each of the kings of Atlantis had complete control over his
own kingdom, but their mutual relationships were governed by a code
engraved by the first ten kings on a column' of orichalch standing in the
temple of Poseidon. At alternate intervals of five and six years a pilgrimage
was made to this temple that equal honor might be conferred upon both the
odd and the even numbers. Here, with appropriate sacrifice, each king
renewed his
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oath of loyalty upon the sacred inscription. Here also the kings donned azure
robes and sat in judgment. At daybreak they wrote their sentences upon a
golden tablet: and deposited them with their robes as memorials. The chief
laws of the Atlantean kings were that they should not take up arms against
each other and that they should come to the assistance of any of their
number who was attacked. In matters of war and great moment the final
decision was in the hands of the direct descendants of the family of Atlas.
No king had the power of life and death over his kinsmen without the assent
of a majority of the ten.
Plato concludes his description by declaring that it was this great empire
which attacked the Hellenic states. This did not occur, however, until their
power and glory had lured the Atlantean kings from the pathway of wisdom
and virtue. Filled with false ambition, the rulers of Atlantis determined to
conquer the entire world. Zeus, perceiving the wickedness of the Atlanteans,
gathered the gods into his holy habitation and addressed them. Here Plato's
narrative comes to an abrupt end, for the Critias was never finished. In the
Timus is a further description of Atlantis, supposedly given to Solon by an
Egyptian priest and which concludes as follows:
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From a careful consideration of Plato's description of Atlantis it is evident
that the story should not be regarded as wholly historical but rather as both
allegorical and historical. Origen, Porphyry, Proclus, Iamblichus, and
Syrianus realized that the story concealed a profound philosophical mystery,
but they disagreed as to the actual interpretation. Plato's Atlantis symbolizes
the threefold nature of both the universe and the human body. The ten kings
of Atlantis are the tetractys, or numbers, which are born as five pairs of
opposites. (Consult Theon of Smyrna for the Pythagorean doctrine of
opposites.) The numbers 1 to 10 rule every creature, and the numbers, in
turn, are under the control of the Monad, or 1--the Eldest among them.
With the trident scepter of Poseidon these kings held sway over the
inhabitants of the seven small and three great islands comprising Atlantis.
Philosophically, the ten islands symbolize the triune powers of the Superior
Deity and the seven regents who bow before His eternal throne. If Atlantis
be considered as the archetypal sphere, then its immersion signifies the
descent of rational, organized consciousness into the illusionary,
impermanent realm of irrational, mortal ignorance. Both the sinking of
Atlantis and the Biblical story of the "fall of man" signify spiritual
involution--a prerequisite to conscious evolution.
Either the initiated Plato used the Atlantis allegory to achieve two widely
different ends or else the accounts preserved by the Egyptian priests were
tampered with to perpetuate the secret doctrine. This does not mean to imply
that Atlantis is purely mythological, but it overcomes the most serious
obstacle to acceptance of the Atlantis theory, namely, the fantastic accounts
of its origin, size, appearance, and date of destruction--9600 B.C. In the
midst of the central island of Atlantis was a lofty mountain which cast a
shadow five thousand stadia in extent and whose summit touched the sphere
of ther. This is the axle mountain of the world, sacred among many races
and symbolic of the human head, which rises out of the four elements of the
body. This sacred mountain, upon whose summit stood the temple of the
gods, gave rise to the stories of Olympus, Meru, and Asgard. The City of the
Golden Gates--the capital of Atlantis--is the one now preserved among
numerous religions as the City of the Gods or the Holy City. Here is the
archetype of the New Jerusalem, with its streets paved with gold and its
twelve gates shining with precious stones.
"The history of Atlantis," writes Ignatius Donnelly, "is the key of the Greek
mythology. There can be no question that these gods of Greece were human
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beings. The tendency to attach divine attributes to great earthly rulers is one
deeply implanted in human nature." (See Atlantis.)
The same author sustains his views by noting that the deities of the Greek
pantheon were nor looked upon as creators of the universe but rather as
regents set over it by its more ancient original fabricators. The Garden of
Eden from which humanity was driven by a flaming sword is perhaps an
allusion to the earthly paradise supposedly located west of the Pillars of
Hercules and destroyed by volcanic cataclysms. The Deluge legend may be
traced also to the Atlantean inundation, during which a "world" was
destroyed by water.,
The mythologies of many nations contain accounts of gods who "came out
of the sea." Certain shamans among the American Indians tell of holy men
dressed in birds' feathers and wampum who rose out of the blue waters and
instructed them in the arts and crafts. Among the legends of the Chaldeans is
that of Oannes, a partly amphibious creature who came out of the sea and
taught the savage peoples along the shore to read and write, till the soil,
cultivate herbs for healing, study the stars, establish rational forms of
government, and become conversant with the sacred Mysteries. Among the
Mayas, Quetzalcoatl, the Savior-God (whom some Christian scholars
believe to have been St. Thomas), issued from the waters and, after
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instructing the people in the essentials of civilization, rode out to sea on a
magic raft of serpents to escape the wrath of the fierce god of the Fiery
Mirror, Tezcatlipoca.
May it not have been that these demigods of a fabulous age who, Esdras-
like, came out of the sea were Atlantean priests? All that primitive man
remembered of the Atlanteans was the glory of their golden ornaments, the
transcendency of their wisdom, and the sanctity of their symbols--the cross
and the serpent. That they came in ships was soon forgotten, for untutored
minds considered even boats as supernatural. Wherever the Atlanteans
proselyted they erected pyramids and temples patterned after the great
sanctuary in the City of the Golden Gates. Such is the origin of the pyramids
of Egypt, Mexico, and Central America. The mounds in Normandy and
Britain, as well as those of the American Indians, are remnants of a similar
culture. In the midst of the Atlantean program of world colonization and
conversion, the cataclysms which sank Atlantis began. The Initiate-Priests of
the Sacred Feather who promised to come back to their missionary
settlements never returned; and after the lapse of centuries tradition
preserved only a fantastic account of gods who came from a place where the
sea now is.
From the Atlanteans the world has received not only the heritage of arts and
crafts, philosophies and sciences, ethics and religions, but also the heritage
of hate, strife, and perversion. The Atlanteans instigated the first war; and it
has been said that all subsequent wars were fought in a fruitless effort to
justify the first one and right the wrong which it caused. Before Atlantis
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sank, its spiritually illumined Initiates, who realized that their land was
doomed because it had departed from the Path of Light, withdrew from the
ill-fated continent. Carrying with them the sacred and secret doctrine, these
Atlanteans established themselves in Egypt, where they became its first
"divine" rulers. Nearly all the great cosmologic myths forming the
foundation of the various sacred books of the world are based upon the
Atlantean Mystery rituals.
The myth of Tammuz and Ishtar is one of the earliest examples of the dying-
god allegory, probably antedating 4000 B. C. (See Babylonia and Assyria by
Lewis Spence.) The imperfect condition of the tablets upon which the
legends are inscribed makes it impossible to secure more than a fragmentary
account of the Tammuz rites. Being the esoteric god of the sun, Tammuz did
not occupy a position among the first deities venerated by the Babylonians,
who for lack of deeper knowledge looked upon him as a god of agriculture
or a vegetation spirit. Originally he was described as being one of the
guardians of the gates of the underworld. Like many other Savior-Gods, he
is referred to as a "shepherd" or "the lord of the shepherd seat." Tammuz
occupies the remarkable position of son and husband of Ishtar, the
Babylonian and Assyrian Mother-goddess. Ishtar--to whom the planer Venus
was sacred--was the most widely venerated deity of the Babylonian and
Assyrian pantheon. She was probably identical with Ashterorh, Astarte, and
Aphrodite. The story of her descent into the underworld in search
presumably for the sacred elixir which alone could restore Tammuz to life is
the key to the ritual of her Mysteries. Tammuz, whose annual festival took
place just before the summer solstice, died in midsummer in the ancient
month which bore his name, and was mourned with elaborate ceremonies.
The manner of his death is unknown, but some of the accusations made
against Ishtar by Izdubar (Nimrod) would indicate that she, indirectly at
least, had contributed to his demise. The resurrection of Tammuz was the
occasion of great rejoicing, at which time he was hailed as a "redeemer" of
his people.
With outspread wings, Ishtar, the daughter of Sin (the Moon), sweeps
downward to the gates of death. The house of darkness--the dwelling of the
god Irkalla--is described as "the place of no return." It is without light; the
nourishment of those who dwell therein is dust and their food is mud. Over
the bolts on the door of the house of Irkalla is scattered dust, and the keepers
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of the house are covered with feathers like birds. Ishtar demands that the
keepers open the gates, declaring that if they do not she will shatter the
doorposts and strike the hinges and raise up dead devourers of the living.
The guardians of the gates beg her to be patient while they go to the queen
of Hades from whom they secure permission to admit Ishtar, but only in the
same manner as all others came to this dreary house. Ishtar thereupon
descends through the seven gates which lead downward into the depths of
the underworld. At the first gate the great crown is removed from her head,
at the second gate the earrings from her ears, at the third gate the necklace
from her neck, at the fourth gate the ornaments from her breast, at the fifth
gate the girdle from her waist, at the sixth gate the bracelets from her hands
and feet, and at the seventh gate the covering cloak of her body. Ishtar
remonstrates as each successive article of apparel is taken from her, bur the
guardian tells her that this is the experience of all who enter the somber
domain of death. Enraged upon beholding Ishtar, the Mistress of Hades
inflicts upon her all manner of disease and imprisons her in the underworld.
As Ishtar represents the spirit of fertility, her loss prevents the ripening of
the crops and the maturing of all life upon the earth.
In this respect the story parallels the legend of Persephone. The gods,
realizing that the loss of Ishtar is disorganizing all Nature, send a messenger
to the underworld and demand her release. The Mistress of Hades is forced
to comply, and the water of life is poured over Ishtar. Thus cured of the
infirmities inflicted on her, she retraces her way upward through the seven
gates, at each of which she is reinvested with the article of apparel which the
guardians had removed. (See The Chaldean Account of Genesis.) No record
exists that Ishtar secured the water of life which would have wrought the
resurrection of Tammuz.
The myth of Ishtar symbolizes the descent of the human spirit through the
seven worlds, or spheres of the sacred planets, until finally, deprived of its
spiritual adornments, it incarnates in the physical body--Hades--where the
mistress of that body heaps every form of sorrow and misery upon the
imprisoned consciousness. The waters of life--the secret doctrine--cure the
diseases of ignorance; and the spirit, ascending again to its divine source,
regains its God-given adornments as it passes upward through the rings of
the planets.
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Another Mystery ritual among the Babylonians and Assyrians was that of
Merodach and the Dragon. Merodach, the creator of the inferior universe,
slays a horrible monster and out of her body forms the universe. Here is the
probable source of the so-called Christian allegory of St. George and the
Dragon.
In Ezekiel viii. 14, it is written that women were weeping for Tammuz
(Adonis) at the north gate of the Lord's House in Jerusalem. Sir James
George Frazer cites Jerome thus: "He tells us that Bethlehem, the
traditionary birthplace of the Lord, was shaded by a grove of that still older
Syrian Lord, Adonis, and that where the infant Jesus had wept, the lover of
Venus was bewailed." (See The Golden Bough.) The effigy of a wild boar is
said to have been set over one of the gates of Jerusalem in honor of Adonis,
and his rites celebrated in the grotto of the Nativity at Bethlehem. Adonis as
the "gored" (or "god") man is one of the keys to Sir Francis Bacon's use of
the "wild boar" in his cryptic symbolism.
In the Mysteries of Adonis the neophyte passed through the symbolic death
of the god and, "raised" by the priests, entered into the blessed state of
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redemption made possible by the sufferings of Adonis. Nearly all authors
believe Adonis to have been originally a vegetation god directly connected
with the growth and maturing of flowers
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and fruits. In support of this viewpoint they describe the "gardens of Adonis,
" which were small baskets of earth in which seeds were planted and
nurtured for a period of eight days. When those plants prematurely died for
lack of sufficient earth, they were considered emblematic of the murdered
Adonis and were usually cast into the sea with images of the god.
"In the Mysteries of the Phrygians, "says Julius Firmicus, "which are called
those of the MOTHER OF THE GODS, every year a PINE TREE is cut
down and in the inside of the tree the image of a YOUTH is tied in! In the
Mysteries of Isis the trunk of a PINE TREE is cut: the middle of the trunk is
nicely hollowed out; the idol of Osiris made from those hollowed pieces is
BURIED. In the Mysteries of Proserpine a tree cut is put together into the
effigy and form of the VIRGIN, and when it has been carried within the city
it is MOURNED 40 nights, but the fortieth night it is BURNED!" (See Sod,
the Mysteries of Adoni.)
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The Mother of the gods, loving Atys, gave him a starry hat, signifying
celestial powers, but Atys (mankind), falling in love with a nymph (symbolic
of the lower animal propensities), forfeited his divinity and lost his creative
powers. It is thus evident that Atys represents the human consciousness and
that his Mysteries are concerned with the reattainment of the starry hat. (See
Sallust on the Gods and the World.)
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Cabiri is to be traced a form of pine-tree worship, for this tree, sacred to
Atys, was first trimmed into the form of a cross and then cut down in honor
of the murdered god whose body was discovered at its foot.
"If you wish to inspect the orgies of the Corybantes, " writes Clement, "Then
know that, having killed their third brother, they covered the head of the
dead body with a purple cloth, crowned it, and carrying it on the point of a
spear, buried it under the roots of Olympus. These mysteries are, in short,
murders and funerals. [This ante-Nicene Father in his efforts to defame the
pagan rites apparently ignores the fact that, like the Cabirian martyr, Jesus
Christ was foully betrayed, tortured, and finally murdered!] And the priests
Of these rites, who are called kings of the sacred rites by those whose
business it is to name them, give additional strangeness to the tragic
occurrence, by forbidding parsley with the roots from being placed on the
table, for they think that parsley grew from the Corybantic blood that flowed
forth; just as the women, in celebrating the Thcsmophoria, abstain from
eating the seeds of the pomegranate, which have fallen on the ground, from
the idea that pomegranates sprang from the drops of the blood of Dionysus.
Those Corybantes also they call Cabiric; and the ceremony itself they
announce as the Cabiric mystery."
The Mysteries of the Cabiri were divided into three degrees, the first of
which celebrated the death of Cashmala, at the hands of his three brothers;
the second, the discovery of his mutilated body, the parts of which had been
found and gathered after much labor; and the third--accompanied by great
rejoicing and happiness--his resurrection and the consequent salvation of the
world. The temple of the Cabiri at Samothrace contained a number of
curious divinities, many of them misshapen creatures representing the
elemental powers of Nature, possibly the Bacchic Titans. Children were
initiated into the Cabirian cult with the same dignity as adults, and criminals
who reached the sanctuary were safe from pursuit. The Samothracian rites
were particularly concerned with navigation, the Dioscuri--Castor and
Pollux, or the gods of navigation--being among those propitiated by
members of that cult. The Argonautic expedition, listening to the advice of
Orpheus, stopped at the island of Samothrace for the purpose of having its
members initiated into the Cabiric rites.
Herodotus relates that when Cambyses entered the temple of the Cabiri he
was unable to restrain his mirth at seeing before him the figure of a man
standing upright and, facing the man, the figure of a woman standing on her
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head. Had Cambyses been acquainted with the principles of divine
astronomy, he would have realized that he was then in the presence of the
key to universal equilibrium. "'I ask,' says Voltaire, 'who were these
Hierophants, these sacred Freemasons, who celebrated their Ancient
Mysteries of Samothracia, and whence came they and their gods Cabiri?'"
(See Mackey's Encyclopdia of Freemasonry.) Clement speaks of the
Mysteries of the Cabiri as "the sacred Mystery of a brother slain by his
brethren," and the "Cabiric death" was one of the secret symbols of
antiquity. Thus the allegory of the Self murdered by the not-self is
perpetuated through the religious mysticism of all peoples. The philosophic
death and the philosophic resurrection are the Lesser and the Greater
Mysteries respectively.
A curious aspect of the dying-god myth is that of the Hanged Man. The most
important example of this peculiar conception is found in the Odinic rituals
where Odin hangs himself for nine nights from the branches of the World
Tree and upon the same occasion also pierces his own side with the sacred
spear. As the result of this great sacrifice, Odin, while suspended over the
depths of Nifl-heim, discovered by meditation the runes or alphabets by
which later the records of his people were preserved. Because of this
remarkable experience, Odin is sometimes shown seated on a gallows tree
and he became the patron deity of all who died by the noose. Esoterically,
the Hanged Man is the human spirit which is suspended from heaven by a
single thread. Wisdom, not death, is the reward for this voluntary sacrifice
during which the human soul, suspended above the world of illusion, and
meditating upon its unreality, is rewarded by the achievement of self-
realization.
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Iamblichus averred that Hermes was the author of twenty thousand books;
Manetho increased the number to more than thirty-six thousand (see James
Gardner)--figures which make it evident that a solitary individual, even
though he be overshadowed by divine prerogative, could scarcely have
accomplished such a monumental labor. Among the arts and sciences which
it is affirmed Hermes revealed to mankind were medicine, chemistry, law,
arc, astrology, music, rhetoric, Magic, philosophy, geography, mathematics
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(especially geometry), anatomy, and oratory. Orpheus was similarly
acclaimed by the Greeks.
In the Egyptian drawings of him, Thoth carries a waxen writing tablet and
serves as the recorder during the weighing of the souls of the dead in the
judgment Hall of Osiris--a ritual of great significance. Hermes is of first
importance to Masonic scholars, because he was the author of the Masonic
initiatory rituals, which were borrowed from the Mysteries established by
Hermes. Nearly all of the Masonic symbols are Hermetic in character.
Pythagoras studied mathematics with the Egyptians and from them gained
his knowledge of the symbolic geometric solids. Hermes is also revered for
his reformation of the calendar system. He increased the year from 360 to
365 days, thus establishing a precedent which still prevails. The appellation
"Thrice Greatest" was given to Hermes because he was considered the
greatest of all philosophers, the greatest of all priests, and the greatest of all
kings. It is worthy of note that the last poem of America's beloved poet,
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was a lyric ode to Hermes. (See Chambers'
Encyclopdia.)
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THE MUTILATED HERMETIC FRAGMENTS
Among the fragmentary writings believed to have come from the stylus of
Hermes are two famous works. The first is the Emerald Table, and the
second is the Divine Pymander, or, as it is more commonly called, The
Shepherd of Men, a discussion of which follows. One outstanding point in
connection with Hermes is that he was one of the few philosopher-priests of
pagandom upon whom the early Christians did not vent their spleen. Some
Church Fathers went so far as to declare that Hermes exhibited many
symptoms of intelligence, and that if he had only been born in a more
enlightened age so that he might have benefited by their instructions he
would have been a really great man!
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principally shown by their sacred ceremonial. For first advances the Singer,
bearing some one of the symbols of music. For they say that he must learn
two of the books of Hermes, the one of which contains the hymns of the
gods, the second the regulations for the king's life. And after the Singer
advances the Astrologer, with a horologe in his hand, and a palm, the
symbols of astrology. He must have the astrological books of Hermes, which
are four in number, always in his mouth. Of these, one is about the order of
the fixed stars that are visible, and another about the conjunctions and
luminous appearances of the sun and moon; and the rest respecting their
risings. Next in order advances the sacred Scribe, with wings on his head,
and in his hand a book and rule, in which were writing ink and the reed, with
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which they write. And he must be acquainted with what are called
hieroglyphics, and know about cosmography and geography, the position of
the sun and moon, and about the five planets; also the description of Egypt,
and the chart of the Nile; and the description of the equipment of the priests
and of the place consecrated to them, and about the measures and the things
in use in the sacred rites. Then the Stole-keeper follows those previously
mentioned, with the cubit of justice and the cup for libations. He is
acquainted with all points called Pdeutic (relating to training) and
Moschophaltic (sacrificial). There are also ten books which relate to the
honour paid by them to their gods, and containing the Egyptian worship; as
that relating to sacrifices, first-fruits, hymns, prayers, processions, festivals,
and the like. And behind all walks the Prophet, with the water-vase carried
openly in his arms; who is followed by those who carry the issue of loaves.
He, as being the governor of the temple, learns the ten books called
'Hieratic'; and they contain all about the laws, and the gods, and the whole of
the training of the priests. For the Prophet is, among the Egyptians, also over
the distribution of the revenues. There are then forty-two books of Hermes
indispensably necessary; of which the six-and-thirty containing the whole
philosophy of the Egyptians are learned by the forementioned personages;
and the other six, which are medical, by the Pastophoroi (image-bearers),--
treating of the structure of the body, and of disease, and instruments, and
medicines, and about the eyes, and the last about women.
One of the greatest tragedies of the philosophic world was the loss of nearly
all of the forty-two books of Hermes mentioned in the foregoing. These
books disappeared during the burning of Alexandria, for the Romans--and
later the Christians--realized that until these books were eliminated they
could never bring the Egyptians into subjection. The volumes which escaped
the fire were buried in the desert and their location is now known to only a
few initiates of the secret schools.
While Hermes still walked the earth with men, he entrusted to his chosen
successors the sacred Book of Thoth. This work contained the secret
processes by which the regeneration of humanity was to be accomplished
and also served as the key to his other writings. Nothing definite is known
concerning the contents of the Book of Thoth other than that its pages were
covered with strange hieroglyphic figures and symbols, which gave to those
acquainted with their use unlimited power over the spirits of the air and the
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subterranean divinities. When certain areas of the brain are stimulated by the
secret processes of the Mysteries, the consciousness of man is extended and
he is permitted to behold the Immortals and enter into the presence of the
superior gods. The Book of Thoth described the method whereby this
stimulation was accomplished. In truth, therefore, it was the "Key to
Immortality."
According to legend, the Book of Thoth was kept in a golden box in the inner
sanctuary of the temple. There was but one key and this was in the
possession of the "Master of the Mysteries," the highest initiate of the
Hermetic Arcanum. He alone knew what was written in the secret book. The
Book of Thoth was lost to the ancient world with the decay of the Mysteries,
but its faithful initiates carried it sealed in the sacred casket into another
land. The book is still in existence and continues to lead the disciples of this
age into the presence of the Immortals. No other information can be given to
the world concerning it now, but the apostolic succession from the first
hierophant initiated by Hermes himself remains unbroken to this day, and
those who are peculiarly fitted to serve the Immortals may discover this
priceless document if they will search sincerely and tirelessly for it.
It has been asserted that the Book of Thoth is, in reality, the mysterious Tarot
of the Bohemians--a strange emblematic book of seventy-eight leaves which
has been in possession of the gypsies since the time when they were driven
from their ancient temple, the Serapeum. (According to the Secret Histories
the gypsies were originally Egyptian priests.) There are now in the world
several secret schools privileged to initiate candidates into the Mysteries, but
in nearly every instance they lighted their altar fires from the flaming torch
of Herm. Hermes in his Book of Thoth revealed to all mankind the "One
Way," and for ages the wise of every nation and every faith have reached
immortality by the "Way" established by Hermes in the midst of the
darkness for the redemption of humankind.
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put forth as one work. The second book of The Divine Pymander, called
Poimandres, or The Vision, is believed to describe the method by which the
divine wisdom was first revealed to Hermes. It was after Hermes had
received this revelation that he began his ministry, teaching to all who would
listen the secrets of the invisible universe as they had been unfolded to him.
The Vision is the most: famous of all the Hermetic fragments, and contains
an exposition of Hermetic cosmogony and the secret sciences of the
Egyptians regarding the culture and unfoldment of the human soul. For some
time it was erroneously called "The Genesis of Enoch," but that mistake has
now been rectified. At hand while preparing the following interpretation of
the symbolic philosophy concealed within The Vision of Hermes the present
author has had these reference works: The Divine Pymander of Hermes
Mercurius Trismegistus (London, 1650), translated out of the Arabic and
Greek by Dr. Everard; Hermetica (Oxford, 1924), edited by Walter Scott;
Hermes, The Mysteries of Egypt (Philadelphia, 1925), by Edouard Schure;
and the Thrice-Greatest Hermes (London, 1906), by G. R. S. Mead. To the
material contained in the above volumes he has added commentaries based
upon the esoteric philosophy of the ancient Egyptians, together with
amplifications derived partly from other Hermetic fragments and partly from
the secret arcanum of the Hermetic sciences. For the sake of clarity, the
narrative form has been chosen in preference to the original dialogic style,
and obsolete words have given place to those in current use.
Hermes, while wandering in a rocky and desolate place, gave himself over to
meditation and prayer. Following the secret instructions of the Temple, he
gradually freed his higher consciousness from the bondage of his bodily
senses; and, thus released, his divine nature revealed to him the mysteries of
the transcendental spheres. He beheld a figure, terrible and awe-inspiring. It
was the Great Dragon, with wings stretching across the sky and light
streaming in all directions from its body. (The Mysteries taught that the
Universal Life was personified as a dragon.) The Great Dragon called
Hermes by name, and asked him why he thus meditated upon the World
Mystery. Terrified by the spectacle, Hermes prostrated himself before the
Dragon, beseeching it to reveal its identity. The great creature answered that
it was Poimandres, the Mind of the Universe, the Creative Intelligence, and
the Absolute Emperor of all. (Schure identifies Poimandres as the god
Osiris.) Hermes then besought Poimandres to disclose the nature of the
universe and the constitution of the gods. The Dragon acquiesced, bidding
Trismegistus hold its image in his mind.
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Immediately the form of Poimandres changed. Where it had stood there was
a glorious and pulsating Radiance. This Light was the spiritual nature of the
Great Dragon itself. Hermes was "raised" into the midst of this Divine
Effulgence and the universe of material things faded from his consciousness.
Presently a great darkness descended and, expanding, swallowed up the
Light. Everything was troubled. About Hermes swirled a mysterious watery
substance which gave forth a smokelike vapor. The air was filled with
inarticulate moanings and sighings which seemed to come from the Light
swallowed up in the darkness. His mind told Hermes that
the Light was the form of the spiritual universe and that the swirling
darkness which had engulfed it represented material substance.
Then out of the imprisoned Light a mysterious and Holy Word came forth
and took its stand upon the smoking waters. This Word--the Voice of the
Light--rose out of the darkness as a great pillar, and the fire and the air
followed after it, but the earth and the water remained unmoved below. Thus
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the waters of Light were divided from the waters of darkness, and from the
waters of Light were formed the worlds above and from the waters of
darkness were formed the worlds below. The earth and the water next
mingled, becoming inseparable, and the Spiritual Word which is called
Reason moved upon their surface, causing endless turmoil.
Then again was heard the voice of Poimandres, but His form was not
revealed: "I Thy God am the Light and the Mind which were before
substance was divided from spirit and darkness from Light. And the Word
which appeared as a pillar of flame out of the darkness is the Son of God,
born of the mystery of the Mind. The name of that Word is Reason. Reason
is the offspring of Thought and Reason shall divide the Light from the
darkness and establish Truth in the midst of the waters. Understand, O
Hermes, and meditate deeply upon the mystery. That which in you sees and
hears is not of the earth, but is the Word of God incarnate. So it is said that
Divine Light dwells in the midst of mortal darkness, and ignorance cannot
divide them. The union of the Word and the Mind produces that mystery
which is called Life. As the darkness without you is divided against itself, so
the darkness within you is likewise divided. The Light and the fire which
rise are the divine man, ascending in the path of the Word, and that which
fails to ascend is the mortal man, which may not partake of immortality.
Learn deeply of the Mind and its mystery, for therein lies the secret of
immortality."
The Dragon again revealed its form to Hermes, and for a long time the two
looked steadfastly one upon the other, eye to eye, so that Hermes trembled
before the gaze of Poimandres. At the Word of the Dragon the heavens
opened and the innumerable Light Powers were revealed, soaring through
Cosmos on pinions of streaming fire. Hermes beheld the spirits of the stars,
the celestials controlling the universe, and all those Powers which shine with
the radiance of the One Fire--the glory of the Sovereign Mind. Hermes
realized that the sight which he beheld was revealed to him only because
Poimandres had spoken a Word. The Word was Reason, and by the Reason
of the Word invisible things were made manifest. Divine Mind--the Dragon-
-continued its discourse:
"Before the visible universe was formed its mold was cast. This mold was
called the Archetype, and this Archetype was in the Supreme Mind long
before the process of creation began. Beholding the Archetypes, the
Supreme Mind became enamored with Its own thought; so, taking the Word
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as a mighty hammer, It gouged out caverns in primordial space and cast the
form of the spheres in the Archetypal mold, at the same time sowing in the
newly fashioned bodies the seeds of living things. The darkness below,
receiving the hammer of the Word, was fashioned into an orderly universe.
The elements separated into strata and each brought forth living creatures.
The Supreme Being--the Mind--male and female, brought forth the Word;
and the Word, suspended between Light and darkness, was delivered of
another Mind called the Workman, the Master-Builder, or the Maker of
Things.
"In this manner it was accomplished, O Hermes: The Word moving like a
breath through space called forth the Fire by the friction of its motion.
Therefore, the Fire is called the Son of Striving. The Workman passed as a
whirlwind through the universe, causing the substances to vibrate and glow
with its friction, The Son of Striving thus formed Seven Governors, the
Spirits of the Planets, whose orbits bounded the world; and the Seven
Governors controlled the world by the mysterious power called Destiny
given them by the Fiery Workman. When the Second Mind (The Workman)
had organized Chaos, the Word of God rose straightway our of its prison of
substance, leaving the elements without Reason, and joined Itself to the
nature of the Fiery Workman. Then the Second Mind, together with the risen
Word, established Itself in the midst of the universe and whirled the wheels
of the Celestial Powers. This shall continue from an infinite beginning to an
infinite end, for the beginning and the ending are in the same place and state.
"The Man, desiring to labor, took up His abode in the sphere of generation
and observed the works of His brother--the Second Mind--which sat upon
the Ring of the Fire. And having beheld the achievements of the Fiery
Workman, He willed also to make things, and His Father gave permission.
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The Seven Governors, of whose powers He partook, rejoiced and each gave
the Man a share of Its own nature.
"The Man longed to pierce the circumference of the circles and understand
the mystery of Him who sat upon the Eternal Fire. Having already all power,
He stooped down and peeped through the seven Harmonies and, breaking
through the strength of the circles, made Himself manifest to Nature
stretched out below. The Man, looking into the depths, smiled, for He beheld
a shadow upon the earth and a likeness mirrored in the waters, which
shadow and likeness were a reflection of Himself. The Man fell in love with
His own shadow and desired to descend into it. Coincident with the desire,
the Intelligent Thing united Itself with the unreasoning image or shape.
"Nature, beholding the descent, wrapped herself about the Man whom she
loved, and the two were mingled. For this reason, earthy man is composite.
Within him is the Sky Man, immortal and beautiful; without is Nature,
mortal and destructible. Thus, suffering is the result of the Immortal Man's
falling in love with His shadow and giving up Reality to dwell in the
darkness of illusion; for, being immortal, man has the power of the Seven
Governors--also the Life, the Light, and the Word-but being mortal, he is
controlled by the Rings of the Governors--Fate or Destiny.
"After this manner were the seven men generated. Earth was the female
element and water the male element, and from the fire and the ther they
received their spirits, and Nature produced bodies after the species and
shapes of men. And man received the Life and Light of the Great Dragon,
and of the Life was made his Soul and of the Light his Mind. And so, all
these composite creatures containing immortality, but partaking of mortality,
continued in this state for the duration of a period. They reproduced
themselves out of themselves, for each was male and female. But at the end
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of the period the knot of Destiny was untied by the will of God and the bond
of all things was loosened.
"Then all living creatures, including man, which had been hermaphroditical,
were separated, the males being set apart by themselves and the females
likewise, according to the dictates of Reason.
"Then God spoke to the Holy Word within the soul of all things, saying:
'Increase in increasing and multiply in multitudes, all you, my creatures and
workmanships. Let him that is endued with Mind know himself to be
immortal and that the cause of death is the love of the body; and let him
learn all things that are, for he who has recognized himself enters into the
state of Good.'
The Egyptians likened humanity to a flock of sheep. The Supreme and Inconceivable Father was the
Shepherd, and Hermes was the shepherd dog. The origin of the shepherd's crook in religious symbolism
may be traced to the Egyptian rituals. The three scepters of Egypt include the shepherd's crook,
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symbolizing that by virtue of the power reposing in that symbolic staff the initiated Pharaohs guided the
destiny of their people.
"And when God had said this, Providence, with the aid of the Seven
Governors and Harmony, brought the sexes together, making the mixtures
and establishing the generations, and all things were multiplied according to
their kind. He who through the error of attachment loves his body, abides
wandering in darkness, sensible and suffering the things of death, but he
who realizes that the body is but the tomb of his soul, rises to immortality."
Then Hermes asked how the righteous and wise pass to God, to which
Poimandres replied: "That which the Word of God said, say I: 'Because the
Father of all things consists of Life and Light, whereof man is made.' If,
therefore, a man shall learn and understand the nature of Life and Light, then
he shall pass into the eternity of Life and Light."
Hermes next inquired about the road by which the wise attained to Life
eternal, and Poimandres continued: "Let the man endued with a Mind mark,
consider, and learn of himself, and with the power of his Mind divide
himself from his not-self and become a servant of Reality."
Hermes asked if all men did not have Minds, and the Great Dragon replied:
"Take heed what you say, for I am the Mind--the Eternal Teacher. I am the
Father of the Word--the Redeemer of all men--and in the nature of the wise
the Word takes flesh. By means of the Word, the world is saved. I, Thought
(Thoth)--the Father of the Word, the Mind--come only unto men that are
holy and good, pure and merciful, and that live piously and religiously, and
my presence is an inspiration and a help to them, for when I come they
immediately know all things and adore the Universal Father. Before such
wise and philosophic ones die, they learn to renounce their senses, knowing
that these are the enemies of their immortal souls.
"I will not permit the evil senses to control the bodies of those who love me,
nor will I allow evil emotions and evil thoughts to enter them. I become as a
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porter or doorkeeper, and shut out evil, protecting the wise from their own
lower nature. But to the wicked, the envious and the covetous, I come not,
for such cannot understand the mysteries of Mind; therefore, I am
unwelcome. I leave them to the avenging demon that they are making in
their own souls, for evil each day increases itself and torments man more
sharply, and each evil deed adds to the evil deeds that are gone before until
finally evil destroys itself. The punishment of desire is the agony of
unfulfillment."
Hermes bowed his head in thankfulness to the Great Dragon who had taught
him so much, and begged to hear more concerning the ultimate of the human
soul. So Poimandres resumed: "At death the material body of man is
returned to the elements from which it came, and the invisible divine man
ascends to the source from whence he came, namely the Eighth Sphere. The
evil passes to the dwelling place of the demon, and the senses, feelings,
desires, and body passions return to their source, namely the Seven
Governors, whose natures in the lower man destroy but in the invisible
spiritual man give life.
"After the lower nature has returned to the brutishness, the higher struggles
again to regain its spiritual estate. It ascends the seven Rings upon which sit
the Seven Governors and returns to each their lower powers in this manner:
Upon the first ring sits the Moon, and to it is returned the ability to increase
and diminish. Upon the second ring sits Mercury, and to it are returned
machinations, deceit, and craftiness. Upon the third ring sits Venus, and to it
are returned the lusts and passions. Upon the fourth ring sits the Sun, and to
this Lord are returned ambitions. Upon the fifth ring sits Mars, and to it are
returned rashness and profane boldness. Upon the sixth ring sits Jupiter, and
to it are returned the sense of accumulation and riches. And upon the seventh
ring sits Saturn, at the Gate of Chaos, and to it are returned falsehood and
evil plotting.
"Then, being naked of all the accumulations of the seven Rings, the soul
comes to the Eighth Sphere, namely, the ring of the fixed stars. Here, freed
of all illusion, it dwells in the Light and sings praises to the Father in a voice
which only the pure of spirit may understand. Behold, O Hermes, there is a
great mystery in the Eighth Sphere, for the Milky Way is the seed-ground of
souls, and from it they drop into the Rings, and to the Milky Way they return
again from the wheels of Saturn. But some cannot climb the seven-runged
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ladder of the Rings. So they wander in darkness below and are swept into
eternity with the illusion of sense and earthiness.
"The path to immortality is hard, and only a few find it. The rest await the
Great Day when the wheels of the universe shall be stopped and the
immortal sparks shall escape from the sheaths of substance. Woe unto those
who wait, for they must return again, unconscious and unknowing, to the
seed-ground of stars, and await a new beginning. Those who are saved by
the light of the mystery which I have revealed unto you, O Hermes, and
which I now bid you to establish among men, shall return again to the Father
who dwelleth in the White Light, and shall deliver themselves up to the
Light and shall be absorbed into the Light, and in the Light they shall
become Powers in God. This is the Way of Good and is revealed only to
them that have wisdom.
"Blessed art thou, O Son of Light, to whom of all men, I, Poimandres, the
Light of the World, have revealed myself. I order you to go forth, to become
as a guide to those who wander in darkness, that all men within whom
dwells the spirit of My Mind (The Universal Mind) may be saved by My
Mind in you, which shall call forth My Mind in them. Establish My
Mysteries and they shall not fail from the earth, for I am the Mind of the
Mysteries and until Mind fails (which is never) my Mysteries cannot fail."
With these parting words, Poimandres, radiant with celestial light, vanished,
mingling with the powers of the heavens. Raising his eyes unto the heavens,
Hermes blessed the Father of All Things and consecrated his life to the
service of the Great Light.
Thus preached Hermes: "O people of the earth, men born and made of the
elements, but with the spirit of the Divine Man within you, rise from your
sleep of ignorance! Be sober and thoughtful. Realize that your home is not in
the earth but in the Light. Why have you delivered yourselves over unto
death, having power to partake of immortality? Repent, and change your
minds. Depart from the dark light and forsake corruption forever. Prepare
yourselves to climb through the Seven Rings and to blend your souls with
the eternal Light."
Some who heard mocked and scoffed and went their way, delivering
themselves to the Second Death from which there is no salvation. But others,
casting themselves before the feet of Hermes, besought him to teach them
the Way of Life. He lifted them gently, receiving no approbation for himself,
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and staff in hand, went forth teaching and guiding mankind, and showing
them how they might be saved. In the worlds of men, Hermes sowed the
seeds of wisdom and nourished the seeds with the Immortal Waters. And at
last came the evening of his life, and as the brightness of the light of earth
was beginning to go down, Hermes commanded his disciples to preserve his
doctrines inviolate throughout all ages. The Vision of Poimandres he
committed to writing that all men desiring immortality might therein find the
way.
In concluding his exposition of the Vision, Hermes wrote: "The sleep of the
body is the sober watchfulness of the Mind and the shutting of my eyes
reveals the true Light. My silence is filled with budding life and hope, and is
full of good. My words are the blossoms of fruit of the tree of my soul. For
this is the faithful account of what I received from my true Mind, that is
Poimandres, the Great Dragon, the Lord of the Word, through whom I
became inspired by God with the Truth. Since that day my Mind has been
ever with me and in my own soul it hath given birth to the Word: the Word
is Reason, and Reason hath redeemed me. For which cause, with all my soul
and all my strength, I give praise and blessing unto God the Father, the Life
and the Light, and the Eternal Good.
"Holy is God, the Father of all things, the One who is before the First
Beginning.
"Holy is God, who has determined that He shall be known, and who is
known by His own to whom He reveals Himself.
"Holy art Thou, who by Thy Word (Reason) hast established all things.
"Holy art Thou, whom the inferior nature has not formed.
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"Accept these reasonable sacrifices from a pure soul and a heart stretched
out unto Thee.
"I beseech Thee to look mercifully upon me, that I may not err from the
knowledge of Thee and that I may enlighten those that are in ignorance, my
brothers and Thy sons.
"Therefore I believe Thee and bear witness unto Thee, and depart in peace
and in trustfulness into Thy Light and Life.
"Blessed art Thou, O Father! The man Thou hast fashioned would be
sanctified with Thee as Thou hast given him power to sanctify others with
Thy Word and Thy Truth."
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The earliest and best-known account of the building of the Great Pyramid is
that given by that highly revered but somewhat imaginative historian,
Herodotus. "The pyramid was built in steps, battlement-wise, as it is called,
or, according to others, altar-wise. After laying the stones for the base, they
raised the remaining stones to their places by means of machines formed of
short wooden planks. The first machine raised them from the ground to the
top of the first step. On this there was another machine, which received the
stone upon its arrival, and conveyed it to the second step, whence a third
machine advanced it still higher. Either they had as many machines as there
were steps in the pyramid, or possibly they had but a single machine, which,
being easily moved, was transferred from tier to tier as the stone rose. Both
accounts are given, and therefore I mention both. The upper portion of the
pyramid was finished first, then the middle, and finally the part which was
lowest and nearest the ground. There is an inscription in Egyptian characters
on the pyramid which records the quantity of radishes, onions, and garlick
consumed by the labourers who constructed it; and I perfectly well
remember that the interpreter who read the writing to me said that the money
expended in this way was 1600 talents of silver. If this then is a true record,
what a vast sum must have been spent on the iron tools used in the work, and
on the feeding and clothing of the labourers, considering the length of time
the work lasted, which has already been stated [ten years], and the additional
time--no small space, I imagine--which must have been occupied by the
quarrying of the stones, their conveyance, and the formation of the
underground apartments."
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While his account is extremely colorful, it is apparent that the Father of
History, for reasons which he doubtless considered sufficient, concocted a
fraudulent story to conceal the true origin and purpose of the Great Pyramid.
This is but one of several instances in his writings which would lead the
thoughtful reader to suspect that Herodotus himself was an initiate of the
Sacred Schools and consequently obligated to preserve inviolate the secrets
of the ancient orders. The theory advanced by Herodotus and now generally
accepted that the Pyramid was the tomb of the Pharaoh Cheops cannot be
substantiated. In fact, Manetho, Eratosthenes, and Diodorus Siculus all differ
from Herodotus--as well as from each other--regarding the name of the
builder of this supreme edifice. The sepulchral vault, which, according to the
Lepsius Law of pyramid construction, should have been finished at the same
time as the monument or sooner, was never completed. There is no proof
that the building was erected by the Egyptians, for the elaborate carvings
with which the burial chambers of Egyptian royalty are almost invariably
ornamented are entirely lacking and it embodies none of the elements of
their architecture or decoration, such as inscriptions, images, cartouches,
paintings, and other distinctive features associated with dynastic mortuary
art. The only hieroglyphics to be found within the Pyramid are a few
builders' marks sealed up in the chambers of construction, first opened by
Howard Vyse. These apparently were painted upon the stones before they
were set in position, for in a number of instances the marks were either
inverted or disfigured by the operation of fitting the blocks together. While
Egyptologists have attempted to identify the crude dabs of paint as
cartouches of Cheops, it is almost inconceivable that this ambitious ruler
would have permitted his royal name to suffer such indignities. As the most
eminent authorities on the subject are still uncertain as to the true meaning of
these crude markings, whatever proof they might be that the building was
erected during the fourth dynasty is certainly offset by the sea shells at the
base of the Pyramid which Mr. Gab advances as evidence that it was erected
before the Deluge--a theory substantiated by the much-abused Arabian
traditions. One Arabian historian declared that the Pyramid was built by the
Egyptian sages as a refuge against the Flood, while another proclaimed it to
have been the treasure house of the powerful antediluvian king Sheddad Ben
Ad. A panel of hieroglyphs over the entrance, which the casual observer
might consider to afford a solution of the mystery, unfortunately dates back
no further than A.D. 1843, having been cut at that time by Dr. Lepsius as a
tribute to the King of Prussia.
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Caliph al Mamoun, an illustrious descendant of the Prophet, inspired by
stories of the immense treasures sealed within its depths, journeyed from
Bagdad to Cairo, A.D. 820, with a great force of workmen to open the
mighty Pyramid. When Caliph al Mamoun first reached the foot of the
"Rock of Ages" and gazed up at its smooth glistening surface, a tumult of
emotions undoubtedly racked his soul. The casing stones must have been in
place at the time of his visit, for the Caliph could find no indication of an
entrance--four perfectly smooth surfaces confronted him. Following vague
rumors, he set his followers to work on the north side of the Pyramid, with
instructions to keep on cutting and chiseling until they discovered
something. To the Moslems with their crude instruments and vinegar it was
a herculean effort to tunnel a full hundred feet through the limestone. Many
times they were on the point of rebellion, but the word of the Caliph was law
and the hope of a vast fortune buoyed them up.
At last on the eve of total discouragement fate came to their rescue. A great
stone was heard to fall somewhere in the wall near the toiling and
disgruntled Arabs. Pushing on toward the sound with renewed enthusiasm,
they finally broke into the descending passage which leads into the
subterranean chamber. They then chiseled their way around the great stone
portcullis which had fallen into a position barring their progress, and
attacked and removed one after another the granite plugs which for a while
continued to slide down the passage leading from the Queen's Chamber
above.
Finally no more blocks descended and the way was clear for the followers of
the Prophet. But where were the treasures? From room to room the frantic
workmen rushed, looking in vain for loot. The discontent of the Moslems
reached such a height that Caliph al Mamoun--who had inherited much of
the wisdom of his illustrious father, the Caliph al Raschid--sent to Bagdad
for funds, which he caused to be secretly buried near the entrance of the
Pyramid. He then ordered his men to dig at that spot and great was their
rejoicing when the treasure was discovered, the workmen being deeply
impressed by the wisdom of the antediluvian monarch who had carefully
estimated their wages and thoughtfully caused the exact amount to be buried
for their benefit!
The Caliph then returned to the city of his fathers and the Great Pyramid was
left to the mercy of succeeding generations. In the ninth century the sun's
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rays striking the highly polished surfaces of the original casing stones caused
each side of the Pyramid to appear as
There is still another answer to the riddle of the sphinx, an answer best revealed by a consideration of the
Pythagorean values of numbers. The 4, the 2 and the 3 produce the sum of 9, which is the natural number
of man and also of the lower worlds. The 4 represents the ignorant man, the 2 the intellectual man, and the
3 the spiritual man. Infant humanity walks on four legs, evolving humanity on two legs, and to the power of
his own mind the redeemed and illumined magus adds the staff of wisdom. The sphinx is therefore the
mystery of Nature, the embodiment of the secret doctrine, and all who cannot solve her riddle perish. To
pass the sphinx is to attain personal immortality.
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a dazzling triangle of light. Since that time, all but two of these casing stones
have disappeared. Investigation has resulted in their discovery, recut and
resurfaced, in the walls of Mohammedan mosques and palaces in various
parts of Cairo and its environs.
PYRAMID PROBLEMS
C. Piazzi Smyth asks: "Was the Great Pyramid, then, erected before the
invention of hieroglyphics, and previous to the birth of the Egyptian
religion?" Time may yet prove that the upper chambers of the Pyramid were
a sealed mystery before the establishment of the Egyptian empire. In the
subterranean chamber, however, are markings which indicate that the
Romans gained admission there. In the light of the secret philosophy of the
Egyptian initiates, W. W. Harmon, by a series of extremely complicated yet
exact mathematical calculations; determines that the first ceremonial of the
Pyramid was performed 68,890 years ago on the occasion when the star
Vega for the first time sent its ray down the descending passage into the pit.
The actual building of the Pyramid was accomplished in the period of from
ten to fifteen years immediately preceding this date.
The Great Pyramid was built of limestone and granite throughout, the two
kinds of rock being combined in a peculiar and significant manner. The
stones were trued with the utmost precision, and the cement used was of
such remarkable quality that it is now practically as hard as the stone itself.
The limestone blocks were sawed with bronze saws, the teeth of which were
diamonds or other jewels. The chips from the stones were piled against the
north side of the plateau on which the structure stands, where they form an
additional buttress to aid in supporting the weight of the structure. The entire
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Pyramid is an example of perfect orientation and actually squares the circle.
This last is accomplished by dropping a vertical line from the apex of the
Pyramid to its base line. If this vertical line be considered as the radius of an
imaginary circle, the length of the circumference of such a circle will be
found to equal the sum of the base lines of the four sides of the Pyramid.
If the passage leading to the King's Chamber and the Queen's Chamber was
sealed up thousands of years before the Christian Era, those later admitted
into the Pyramid Mysteries must have received their initiations in
subterranean galleries now unknown. Without such galleries there could
have been no possible means of ingress or egress, since the single surface
entrance was completely dosed with casing stones. If not blocked by the
mass of the Sphinx or concealed in some part of that image, the secret
entrance may be either in one of the adjacent temples or upon the sides of
the limestone plateau.
Mr. Dupr bases his conclusion upon the fact that the well is merely a rough
hole and the grotto an irregular chamber, without any evidence of the
architectural precision with which the remainder of the structure was
erected. The diameter of the well also precludes the possibility of its having
been dug downward; it must have been gouged out from below, and the
grotto was necessary to supply air to the thieves. It is inconceivable that the
Pyramid builders would break one of their own ramp stones and leave its
broken surface and a gaping hole in the side wall of their otherwise perfect
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gallery. If the well is a robbers' hole, it may explain why the Pyramid was
empty when Caliph al Mamoun entered it and what happened to the missing
coffer lid. A careful examination of the so-called unfinished subterranean
chamber, which must have been the base of operations for the robbers, might
disclose traces of their presence or show where they piled the rubble which
must have accumulated as a result of their operations. While it is not entirely
clear by what entrance the robbers reached the subterranean chamber, it is
improbable that they used the descending passageway.
There is a remarkable niche in the north wall of the Queen's Chamber which
the Mohammedan guides glibly pronounce to be a shrine. The general shape
of this niche, however, with its walls converging by a series of overlaps like
those of the Grand Gallery, would indicate that originally it had been
intended as a passageway. Efforts made to explore this niche have been
nonproductive, but Mr. Dupr believes an entrance to exist here through
which--if the well did not exist at the time--the workmen made their exit
from the Pyramid after dropping the stone plugs into the ascending gallery.
THE SPHINX
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Egyptian antiquities. The shallow depression in the crown of the head, once
thought to be the terminus of a closed up passageway leading from the
Sphinx to the Great Pyramid, was merely intended to help support a
headdress now missing.
Metal rods have been driven into the Sphinx in a vain effort to discover
chambers or passages within its body. The major part of the Sphinx is a
single stone, but the front paws have been built up of smaller stones. The
Sphinx is about 200 feet long, 70 feet high, and 38 feet wide across the
shoulders. The main stone from which it was carved is believed by some to
have been transported from distant quarries by methods unknown, while
others assert it to be native rock, possibly an outcropping somewhat
resembling the form into which it was later carved. The theory once
advanced that both the Pyramid and the Sphinx were built from artificial
stones made on the spot has been abandoned. A careful analysis of the
limestone shows it to be composed of small sea creatures called mummulites.
The popular supposition that the Sphinx was the true portal of the Great
Pyramid, while it survives with surprising tenacity, has never been
substantiated. P. Christian presents this theory as follows, basing it in part
upon the authority of Iamblichus:
"The Sphinx of Gizeh, says the author of the Trait des Mystres, served as
the entrance to the sacred subterranean chambers in which the trials of the
initiate were undergone. This entrance, obstructed in our day by sands and
rubbish, may still be traced between the forelegs of the crouched colossus. It
was formerly closed by a bronze gate whose secret spring could be operated
only by the Magi. It was guarded by public respect: and a sort of religious
fear maintained its inviolability better than armed protection would have
done. In the belly of the Sphinx were cut out galleries leading to the
subterranean part of the Great Pyramid. These galleries were so artfully
crisscrossed along their course to the Pyramid that in setting forth into the
passage without a guide through this network, one ceaselessly and inevitably
returned to the starting point." (See Histoire de la Magie.)
Unfortunately, the bronze door referred to cannot be found, nor is there any
evidence that it ever existed. The passing centuries have wrought many
changes in the colossus, however, and the original opening may have been
closed.
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Nearly all students of the subject believe that subterranean chambers exist
beneath the Great Pyramid. Robert Ballard writes: "The priests of the
Pyramids of Lake Mris had their vast subterranean residences. It appears to
me more than probable that those of Gizeh were similarly provided. And I
may go further:--Out of these very caverns may have been excavated the
limestone of which the Pyramids were built. * * * In the bowels of the
limestone ridge on which
The Great Pyramid is the only one in the group at Gizeh--in fact, as far as known, the only one in Egypt--
that has chambers within the actual body of the Pyramid itself. Far this reason it is said to refute the
Lepsius Law, which asserts that each of these structures is a monument raised over a subterranean
chamber in which a ruler is entombed. The Pyramid contains four chambers, which in the diagram are
lettered K, H, F, and O.
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The King's Chamber (K) is an oblong apartment 39 feet long, 17 felt wide, and 19 feet high (disregarding
fractional parts of a foot in each case), with a flat roof consisting of nine great stones, the largest in the
Pyramid. Above the King's Chamber are five low compartments (L), generally termed construction
chambers. In the lowest of these the so-called hieroglyphs of the Pharaoh Cheops are located. The roof of
the fifth construction chamber is peaked. At the end of the King's Chamber opposite the entrance stands the
famous sarcophagus, or coffer (I), and behind it is a shallow opening that was dug in the hope of
discovering valuables. Two air vents (M, N) passing through the entire body of the Pyramid ventilate the
King's Chamber. In itself this is sufficient to establish that the building was not intended for a tomb.
Between the upper end of the Grand Gallery (G. G.) and the King's Chamber is a small antechamber (H),
its extreme length 9 feet, its extreme width 5 feet, and its extreme height 12 feet, with its walls grooved far
purposes now unknown. In the groove nearest the Grand Gallery is a slab of stone in two sections, with a
peculiar boss or knob protruding about an inch from the surface of the upper part facing the Grand
Gallery. This stone does not reach to the floor of the antechamber and those entering the King's Chamber
must pass under the slab. From the King's Chamber, the Grand Gallery--157 feet in length, 28 feet in
height, 7 feet in width at its widest point and decreasing to 3 feet as the result of seven converging
overlaps, of the stones forming the walls--descends to a little above the level of the Queen's Chamber. Here
a gallery (E) branches off, passing mere than 100 feet back towards the center of the Pyramid and opening
into the Queen's Chamber (F). The Queen's Chamber is 19 feet long, 17 feet wide, and 20 feet high. Its roof
is peaked and composed of great slabs of stone. Air passages not shown lead from the Queen's Chamber,
but these were not open originally. In the east wall of the Queen's Chamber is a peculiar niche of gradually
converging stone, which in all likelihood, may prove to be a new lost entrance way.
At the paint where the Grand Gallery ends and the horizontal passage towards the Queen's Chamber
begins is the entrance to the well and also the opening leading down the first ascending passage (D) to the
point where this passage meets the descending passage (A) leading from the outer wall of the Pyramid
down to the subterranean chamber. After descending 59 feet down the well (P), the grotto is reached.
Continuing through the floor of the grotto the well leads downward 133 feet to the descending entrance
passage (A), which it meets a short distance before this passage becomes horizontal and leads into the
subterranean chamber.
The subterranean chamber (O) is about 46 feet long and 27 feet wide, but is extremely low, the ceiling
varying in height from a little over 3 feet to about 13 feet from the rough and apparently unfinished floor.
From the south side of the subterranean chamber a low tunnel runs about 50 feet and then meets a blank
wall. These constitute the only known openings in the Pyramid, with the exception of a few niches,
exploration holes, blind passages, and the rambling cavernous tunnel (B) hewn out by the Moslems under
the leadership of the Prophet's descendant, Caliph al Mamoun.
____________________
the Pyramids are built will yet be found, I feel convinced, ample information
as to their uses. A good diamond drill with two or three hundred feet of rods
is what is wanted to test this, and the solidarity of the Pyramids at the same
time." (See The Solution of the Pyramid Problem.)
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exist beneath the building are relatively insignificant, like those within the
body of the structure, which occupy less than one sixteen-hundredth of the
cubic contents of the Pyramid.
To the Egyptians, the Sphinx was the symbol of strength and intelligence. It
was portrayed as androgynous to signify that they recognized the initiates
and gods as partaking of both the positive and negative creative powers.
Gerald Massey writes: "This is the secret of the Sphinx. The orthodox
sphinx of Egypt is masculine in front and feminine behind. So is the image
of Sut-Typhon, a type of horn and tail, male in front and female behind. The
Pharaohs, who wore the tail of the Lioness or Cow behind them, were male
in front and female behind. Like the Gods they included the dual totality of
Being in one person, born of the Mother, but of both sexes as the Child."
(See The Natural Genesis.)
Most investigators have ridiculed the Sphinx and, without even deigning to
investigate the great colossus, have turned their attention to the more
overwhelming mystery of the Pyramid.
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life of every creature. John Taylor believes the word pyramid to mean a
"measure of wheat, " while C. Piazzi Smyth favors the Coptic meaning, "a
division into ten." The initiates of old accepted the pyramid form as the ideal
symbol of both the secret doctrine and those institutions established for its
dissemination. Both pyramids and mounds are antitypes of the Holy
Mountain, or High Place of God, which was believed to stand in the "midst"
of the earth. John P. Lundy relates the Great Pyramid to the fabled Olympus,
further assuming that its subterranean passages correspond to the tortuous
byways of Hades.
The square base of the Pyramid is a constant reminder that the House of
Wisdom is firmly founded upon Nature and her immutable laws. "The
Gnostics," writes Albert Pike, "claimed that the whole edifice of their
science rested on a square whose angles were: , Silence; ,
Profundity; , Intelligence; and Truth." (See Morals and
Dogma.) The sides of the Great Pyramid face the four cardinal angles, the
latter signifying according to Eliphas Levi the extremities of heat and cold
(south and north) and the extremities of light and darkness (east and west).
The base of the Pyramid further represents the four material elements or
substances from the combinations of which the quaternary body of man is
formed. From each side of the square there rises a triangle, typifying the
threefold divine being enthroned within every quaternary material nature. If
each base line be considered a square from which ascends a threefold
spiritual power, then the sum of the lines of the four faces (12) and the four
hypothetical squares (16) constituting the base is 28, the sacred number of
the lower world. If this be added to the three septenaries composing the sun
(21), it equals 49, the square of 7 and the number of the universe.
The twelve signs of the zodiac, like the Governors' of the lower worlds, are
symbolized by the twelve lines of the four triangles--the faces of the
Pyramid. In the midst of each face is one of the beasts of Ezekiel, and the
structure as a whole becomes the Cherubim. The three main chambers of the
Pyramid are related to the heart, the brain, and the generative system--the
spiritual centers of the human constitution. The triangular form of the
Pyramid also is similar to the posture assumed by the body during the
ancient meditative exercises. The Mysteries taught that the divine energies
from the gods descended upon the top of the Pyramid, which was likened to
an inverted tree with its branches below and its roots at the apex. From this
inverted tree the divine wisdom is disseminated by streaming down the
diverging sides and radiating throughout the world.
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The size of the capstone of the Great Pyramid cannot be accurately
determined, for, while most investigators have assumed that it was once in
place, no vestige of it now remains. There is a curious tendency among the
builders of great religious edifices to leave their creations unfinished,
thereby signifying that God alone is complete. The capstone--if it existed--
was itself a miniature pyramid, the apex of which again would be capped by
a smaller block of similar shape, and so on ad infinitum. The capstone
therefore is the epitome of the entire structure. Thus, the Pyramid may be
likened to the universe and the capstone to man. Following the chain of
analogy, the mind is the capstone of man, the spirit the capstone of the mind,
and God--the epitome of the whole--the capstone of the spirit. As a rough
and unfinished block, man is taken from the quarry and by the secret culture
of the Mysteries gradually transformed into a trued and perfect pyramidal
capstone. The temple is complete only when the initiate himself becomes the
living apex through which the divine power is focused into the diverging
structure below.
W. Marsham Adams calls the Great Pyramid "the House of the Hidden
Places"; such indeed it was, for it represented the inner sanctuary of pre-
Egyptian wisdom. By the Egyptians the Great Pyramid was associated with
Hermes, the god of wisdom and letters and the Divine Illuminator worshiped
through the planet Mercury. Relating Hermes to the Pyramid emphasizes
anew the fact that it was in reality the supreme temple of the Invisible and
Supreme Deity. The Great Pyramid was not a lighthouse, an observatory, or
a tomb, but the first temple of the Mysteries, the first structure erected as a
repository for those secret truths which are the certain foundation of all arts
and sciences. It was the perfect emblem of the microcosm and the
macrocosm and, according to the secret teachings, the tomb of Osiris, the
black god of the Nile. Osiris represents a certain manifestation of solar
energy, and therefore his house or tomb is emblematic of the universe within
which he is entombed and upon the cross of which he is crucified.
Through the mystic passageways and chambers of the Great Pyramid passed
the illumined of antiquity. They entered its portals as men; they came forth
as gods. It was the place of the "second birth," the "womb of the Mysteries,"
and wisdom dwelt in it as God dwells in the hearts of men. Somewhere in
the depths of its recesses there resided an unknown being who was called
"The Initiator," or "The Illustrious One," robed in blue and gold and bearing
in his hand the sevenfold key of Eternity. This was the lion-faced
hierophant, the Holy One, the Master of Masters, who never left the House
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of Wisdom and whom no man ever saw save he who had passed through the
gates of preparation and purification. It was in these chambers that Plato--he
of the broad brow---came face to face with the wisdom of the ages
personified in the Master of the Hidden House.
Who was the Master dwelling in the mighty Pyramid, the many rooms of
which signified the worlds in space; the Master whom none might behold
save those who had been "born again"? He alone fully knew the secret of the
Pyramid, but he has departed the way of the wise and the house is empty.
The hymns of praise no longer echo in muffled tones through the chambers;
the neophyte no longer passes through the elements and wanders among the
seven stars; the candidate no longer receives the "Word of Life" from the
lips of the Eternal One. Nothing now remains that the eye of man can see but
an empty shell--the outer symbol of an inner truth--and men call the House
of God a tomb!
The technique of the Mysteries was unfolded by the Sage Illuminator, the
Master of the Secret House. The power to know his guardian spirit was
revealed to the new initiate; the method of disentangling his material body
from. his divine vehicle was explained; and to consummate the magnum
opus, there was revealed the Divine Name--the secret and unutterable
designation of the Supreme Deity, by the very knowledge of which man and
his God are made consciously one. With the giving of the Name, the new
initiate became himself a pyramid, within the chambers of whose soul
numberless other human beings might also receive spiritual enlightenment.
In the King's Chamber was enacted the drama of the "second death." Here
the candidate, after being crucified upon the cross of the solstices and the
equinoxes, was buried in the great coffer. There is a profound mystery to the
atmosphere and temperature of the King's Chamber: it is of a peculiar
deathlike cold which cuts to the marrow of the bone. This room was a
doorway between the material world and the transcendental spheres of
Nature. While his body lay in the coffer, the soul of the neophyte soared as a
human-headed hawk through the celestial realms, there to discover first hand
the eternity of Life, Light, and Truth, as well as the illusion of Death,
Darkness, and Sin. Thus in one sense the Great Pyramid may be likened to a
gate through which the ancient priests permitted a few to pass toward the
attainment of individual completion. It is also to be noted incidentally that if
the coffer in the King's Chamber be struck, the sound emitted has no
counterpart in any known musical scale. This tonal value may have formed
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part of that combination of circumstances which rendered the King's
Chamber an ideal setting for the conferment of the highest degree of the
Mysteries.
The modern world knows little of these ancient rites. The scientist and the
theologian alike gaze upon the sacred structure, wondering what
fundamental urge inspired the herculean labor. If they would but think for a
moment, they would realize that there is only one urge in the soul of man
capable of supplying the required incentive--namely, the desire to know, to
understand, and to exchange the narrowness of human mortality for the
greater breadth and scope of divine enlightenment. So men say of the Great
Pyramid that it is the most perfect building in the world, the source of
weights and measures, the original Noah's Ark, the origin of languages,
alphabets,. and scales of temperature and humidity. Few realize, however,
that it is the gateway to the Eternal.
Though the modern world may know a million secrets, the ancient world
knew one--and that one was greater than the million; for the million secrets
breed death, disaster, sorrow, selfishness, lust, and avarice, but the one secret
confers life, light, and truth. The time will come when the secret wisdom
shall again be the dominating religious and philosophical urge of the world.
The day is at hand when the doom of dogma shall be sounded. The great
theological Tower of Babel, with its confusion of tongues, was built of
bricks of mud and the mortar of slime. Out of the cold ashes of lifeless
creeds, however, shall rise phnixlike the ancient Mysteries. No other
institution has so completely satisfied the religious aspirations of humanity,
for since the destruction of the Mysteries there never has been a religious
code to which Plato could have subscribed. The unfolding of man's spiritual
nature is as much an exact science as astronomy, medicine or jurisprudence.
To accomplish this end religions were primarily established; and out of
religion have come science, philosophy, and logic as methods whereby this
divine purpose might be realized.
The Dying God shall rise again! The secret room in the House of the Hidden
Places shall be rediscovered. The Pyramid again shall stand as the ideal
emblem of solidarity, inspiration, aspiration, resurrection, and regeneration.
As the passing sands of time bury civilization upon civilization beneath their
weight, the Pyramid shall remain as the Visible covenant between Eternal
Wisdom and the world. The time may yet come when the chants of the
illumined shall be heard once more in its ancient passageways and the
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Master of the Hidden House shall await in the Silent Place for the coming of
that man who, casting aside the fallacies of dogma and tenet, seeks simply
Truth and will be satisfied with neither substitute nor counterfeit.
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Plutarch affirms that many ancient authors believed this goddess to be the
daughter of Hermes; others held the opinion that she was the child of
Prometheus. Both of these demigods were noted for their divine wisdom. It
is not improbable that her kinship to them is merely allegorical. Plutarch
translates the name Isis to mean wisdom. Godfrey Higgins, in his
Anacalypsis, derives the name of Isis from the Hebrew , Iso, and the
Greek , to save. Some authorities, however, for example, Richard Payne
Knight (as stated in his Symbolical Language of Ancient Art and
Mythology), believe the word to be of Northern extraction, possibly
Scandinavian or Gothic. In these languages the name is pronounced Isa,
meaning ice, or water in its most passive, crystallized, negative state.
This Egyptian deity under many names appears as the principle of natural
fecundity among nearly all the religions of the ancient world. She was
known as the goddess with ten thousand appellations and was
metamorphosed by Christianity into the Virgin Mary, for Isis, although she
gave birth to all living things--chief among them the Sun--still remained a
virgin, according to the legendary accounts.
Apuleius in the eleventh book of The Golden Ass ascribes to the goddess the
following statement concerning her powers and attributes: "Behold, * *, I,
moved by thy prayers, am present with thee; I, who am Nature, the parent of
things, the queen of all the elements, the primordial progeny of ages, the
supreme of Divinities, the sovereign of the spirits of the dead, the first of the
celestials, and the uniform resemblance of Gods and Goddesses. I, who rule
by my nod the luminous summits of the heavens, the salubrious breezes of
the sea, and the deplorable silences of the realms beneath, and whose one
divinity the whole orb of the earth venerates under a manifold form, by
different rites and a variety of appellations. Hence the primogenial Phrygians
call me Pessinuntica, the mother of the Gods, the Attic Aborigines,
Cecropian Minerva; the floating Cyprians, Paphian Venus; the arrow-
bearing Cretans, Diana Dictynna; the three-tongued Sicilians, Stygian
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Proserpine; and the Eleusinians, the ancient Goddess Ceres. Some also call
me Juno, others Bellona, others Hecate, and others Rhamnusia. And those
who are illuminated by the incipient rays of that divinity the Sun, when he
rises, viz. the Ethiopians, the Arii, and the Egyptians skilled in ancient
learning, worshipping me by ceremonies perfectly appropriate, call me by
my true name, Queen Isis."
Le Plongeon believes that the Egyptian myth of Isis had a historical basis
among the Mayas of Central America, where this goddess was known as
Queen Moo. In Prince Coh the same author finds a correspondence to Osiris,
the brother-husband of Isis. Le Plongeon's theory is that Mayan civilization
was far more ancient than that of Egypt. After the death of Prince Coh, his
widow, Queen Moo, fleeing to escape the wrath of his murderers, sought
refuge among the Mayan colonies in Egypt, where she was accepted as their
queen and was given the name of Isis. While Le Plongeon may be right, the
possible historical queen sinks into insignificance when compared with the
allegorical, symbolic World Virgin; and the fact that she appears among so
many different races and peoples discredits the theory that she was a
historical individual.
According to Sextus Empyricus, the Trojan war was fought over a statue of
the moon goddess. For this lunar Helena, and not for a woman, the Greeks
and Trojans struggled at the gates of Troy.
Several authors have attempted to prove that Isis, Osiris, Typhon, Nephthys,
and Aroueris (Thoth, or Mercury) were grandchildren of the great Jewish
patriarch Noah by his son Ham. But as the story of Noah and his ark is a
cosmic allegory concerning the repopulation of planets at the beginning of
each world period, this only makes it less likely that they were historical
personages. According to Robert Fludd, the sun has three properties--life,
light, and heat. These three vivify and vitalize the three worlds--spiritual,
intellectual, and material. Therefore, it is said "from one light, three lights,"
i. e. the first three Master Masons. In all probability, Osiris represents the
third, or material, aspect of solar activity, which by its beneficent influences
vitalizes and enlivens the flora and fauna of the earth. Osiris is not the sun,
but the sun is symbolic of the vital principle of Nature, which the ancients
knew as Osiris. His symbol, therefore, was an opened eye, in honor of the
Great Eye of the universe, the sun. Opposed to the active, radiant principle
of impregnating fire, hear, and motion was the passive, receptive principle of
Nature.
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Modern science has proved that forms ranging in magnitude from solar
systems to atoms are composed of positive, radiant nuclei surrounded by
negative bodies that exist upon the emanations of the central life. From this
allegory we have the story of Solomon and his wives, for Solomon is the sun
and his wives and concubines are the planets, moons, asteroids, and other
receptive bodies within his house--the solar mansion. Isis, represented in the
Song of Solomon by the dark maid of Jerusalem, is symbolic of receptive
Nature--the watery, maternal principle which creates all things out of herself
after impregnation has been achieved by the virility of the sun.
In the ancient world the year had 360 days. The five extra days were
gathered together by the God of Cosmic Intelligence to serve as the
birthdays of the five gods and goddesses who are called the sons and
daughters of Ham. Upon the first of these special days Osiris was born and
upon the fourth of them Isis. (The number four shows the relation that this
goddess bears to the earth and its elements.) Typhon, the Egyptian Demon or
Spirit of the Adversary, was born upon the third day. Typhon is often
symbolized by a crocodile; sometimes his body is a combination of
crocodile and hog. Isis stands for knowledge and wisdom, and according to
Plutarch the word Typhon means insolence and pride. Egotism, self-
centeredness, and pride are the deadly enemies of understanding and truth.
This part of the allegory is revealed.
After Osiris, here symbolized as the sun, had become King of Egypt and had
given to his people the full advantage of his intellectual light, he continued
his path through the heavens, visiting the peoples of other nations and
converting all with whom he came in contact. Plutarch further asserts that
the Greeks recognized in Osiris the same person whom they revered under
the names of Dionysos and Bacchus. While he was away from his country,
his brother, Typhon, the Evil One, like the Loki of Scandinavia, plotted
against the Sun God to destroy him. Gathering seventy-two persons as
fellow conspirators, he attained his nefarious end in a most subtle manner.
He had a wonderful ornamented box made just the size of the body of Osiris.
This he brought into a banquet hall where the gods and goddesses were
feasting together. All admired the beautiful chest, and Typhon promised to
give it to the one whose body fitted it most perfectly. One after another lay
down in the box, but in disappointment
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King. In my honor was the city of Bubaste built. Rejoice, O Egypt, rejoice, land that gave me birth!" (See
"Morals and Dogma," by Albert Pike.)
rose again, until at last Osiris also tried. The moment he was in the chest
Typhon and his accomplices nailed the cover down and sealed the cracks
with molten lead. They then cast the box into the Nile, down which it floated
to the sea. Plutarch states that the date upon which this occurred was the
seventeenth day of the month Athyr, when the sun was in the constellation
of Scorpio. This is most significant, for the Scorpion is the symbol of
treachery. The time when Osiris entered the chest was also the same season
that Noah entered the ark to escape from the Deluge.
Plutarch further declares that the Pans and Satyrs (the Nature spirits and
elementals) first discovered that Osiris had been murdered. These
immediately raised an alarm, and from this incident the word panic, meaning
fright or amazement of the multitudes, originated. Isis, upon receiving the
news of her husband's murder, which she learned from some children who
had seen the murderers making off with the box, at once robed herself in
mourning and started forth in quest of him.
At length Isis discovered that the chest had floated to the coast of Byblos.
There it had lodged in the branches of a tree, which in a short time
miraculously grew up around the box. This so amazed the king of that
country that he ordered the tree to be cut down and a pillar made from its
trunk to support the roof of his palace. Isis, visiting Byblos, recovered the
body of her husband, but it was again stolen by Typhon, who cut it into
fourteen parts, which he scattered all over the earth. Isis, in despair, began
gathering up the severed remains of her husband, but found only thirteen
pieces. The fourteenth part (the phallus) she reproduced in gold, for the
original had fallen into the river Nile and had been swallowed by a fish.
Typhon was later slain in battle by the son of Osiris. Some of the Egyptians
believed that the souls of the gods were taken to heaven, where they shone
forth as stars. It was supposed that the soul of Isis gleamed from the Dog
Star, while Typhon became the constellation of the Bear. It is doubtful,
however, whether this idea was ever generally accepted.
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importance, for they represent the auric bodies of the superhuman
intelligences, and are used in the same way that the nimbus, halo, and
aureole are used in Christian religious art. Frank C. Higgins, a well-known
Masonic symbolist, has astutely noted that the ornate headgears of certain
gods and Pharaohs are inclined backward at the same angle as the earth's
axis. The robes, insignia, jewels, and ornamentations of the ancient
hierophants symbolized the spiritual energies radiating from the human
body. Modern science is rediscovering many of the lost secrets of Hermetic
philosophy. One of these is the ability to gauge the mental development, the
soul qualities, and the physical health of an individual from the streamers of
semi-visible electric force which pour through the surface of the skin of
every human being at all times during his life. (For details concerning a
scientific process for making the auric emanations visible, see The Human
Atmosphere by Dr. Walter J. Kilner.)
Thoth Hermes Trismegistus, the founder of Egyptian learning, the Wise Man
of the ancient world, gave to the priests and philosophers of antiquity the
secrets which have been preserved to this day in myth and legend. These
allegories and emblematic figures conceal the secret formul for spiritual,
mental, moral, and physical regeneration commonly known as the Mystic
Chemistry of the Soul (alchemy). These sublime truths were communicated
to the initiates of the Mystery Schools, but were concealed from the profane.
The latter, unable to understand the abstract philosophical tenets, worshiped
the concrete sculptured idols which were emblematic of these secret truths.
The wisdom and secrecy of Egypt are epitomized in the Sphinx, which has
preserved its secret from the seekers of a hundred generations. The mysteries
of Hermeticism, the great spiritual truths hidden from the world by the
ignorance of the world, and the keys of the secret doctrines of the ancient
philosophers, are all symbolized by the Virgin Isis. Veiled from head to foot,
she reveals her wisdom only to the tried and initiated few who have earned
the right to enter her sacred presence, tear from the veiled figure of Nature
its shroud of obscurity, and stand face to face with the Divine Reality.
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The explanations in these pages of the symbols peculiar to the Virgin Isis are
based (unless otherwise noted) on selections from a free translation of the
fourth book of Bibliotque des Philosophes Hermtiques, entitled "The
Hermetical Signification of the Symbols and Attributes of Isis," with
interpolations by the compiler to amplify and clarify the text.
The statues of Isis were decorated with the sun, moon, and stars, and many
emblems pertaining to the earth, over which Isis was believed to rule (as the
guardian spirit of Nature personified). Several images of the goddess have
been found upon which the marks of her dignity and position were still
intact. According to the ancient philosophers, she personified Universal
Nature, the mother of all productions. The deity was generally represented as
a partly nude woman, often pregnant, sometimes loosely covered with a
garment either of green or black color, or of four different shades
intermingled-black, white, yellow, and red.
Apuleius describes her as follows: "In the first place, then, her most copious
and long hairs, being gradually intorted, and promiscuously scattered on her
divine neck, were softly defluous. A multiform crown, consisting of various
flowers, bound the sublime summit of her head. And in the middle of the
crown, just on her forehead, there was a smooth orb resembling a mirror, or
rather a white refulgent light, which indicated that she was the moon. Vipers
rising up after the manner of furrows, environed the crown on the right hand
and on the left, and Cerealian ears of corn were also extended from above.
Her garment was of many colours, and woven from the finest flax, and was
at one time lucid with a white splendour, at another yellow from the flower
of crocus, and at another flaming with a rosy redness. But that which most
excessively dazzled my sight, was a very black robe, fulgid with a dark
splendour, and which, spreading round and passing under her right side, and
ascending to her left shoulder, there rose protuberant like the center of a
shield, the dependent part of the robe falling in many folds, and having small
knots of fringe, gracefully flowing in its extremities. Glittering stars were
dispersed through the embroidered border of the robe, and through the whole
of its surface: and the full moon, shining in the middle of the stars, breathed
forth flaming fires. Nevertheless, a crown, wholly consisting of flowers and
fruits of every kind, adhered with indivisible connexion to the border of that
conspicuous robe, in all its undulating motions. What she carried in her
hands also consisted of things of a very different nature. For her right hand,
indeed, bore a brazen rattle [sistrum] through the narrow lamina of which
bent like a belt, certain rods passing, produced a sharp triple sound, through
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the vibrating motion of her arm. An oblong vessel, in the shape of a boat,
depended from her left hand, on the handle of which, in that part in which it
was conspicuous, an asp raised its erect head and largely swelling neck. And
shoes woven from the leaves of the victorious palm tree covered her
immortal feet."
The green color alludes to the vegetation which covers the face of the earth,
and therefore represents the robe of Nature. The black represents death and
corruption as being the way to a new life and generation. "Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John iii. 3.) White, yellow,
and red signify the three principal colors of the alchemical, Hermetical,
universal medicine after the blackness of its putrefaction is over.
The ancients gave the name Isis to one of their occult medicines; therefore
the description here given relates somewhat to chemistry. Her black drape
also signifies that the moon, or the lunar humidity--the sophic universal
mercury and the operating substance of Nature in alchemical terminology--
has no light of its own, but receives its light, its fire, and its vitalizing force
from the sun. Isis was
THE SISTRUM
"The sistrum is designed * * * to represent to us, that every thing must be kept in continual agitation, and
never cease from motion; that they ought to be mused and well-shaken, whenever they begin to grow
drowsy as it were, and to droop in their motion. For, say they, the sound of these sistra averts and drives
away Typho; meaning hereby, that as corruption clogs and puts a stop to the regular course of nature; so
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generation, by the means of motion, loosens it again, and restores it to its former vigour. Now the outer
surface of this instrument is of a convex figure, as within its circumference are contained those four chords
or bars [only three shown], which make such a rattling when they are shaken--nor is this without its
meaning; for that part of the universe which is subject to generation and corruption is contained within the
sphere of the moon; and whatever motions or changes may happen therein, they are all effected by the
different combinations of the four elementary bodies, fire, earth, water, and air--moreover, upon the upper
part of the convex surface of the sistrum is carved the effigies of a cat with a human visage, as on the lower
edge of it, under those moving chords, is engraved on the one side the face of Isis, and on the other that of
Nephthys--by the faces symbolically representing generation and corruption (which, as has been already
observed, is nothing but the motion and alteration of the four elements one amongst another),"
the image or representative of the Great Works of the wise men: the
Philosopher's Stone, the Elixir of Life, and the Universal Medicine.
Other hieroglyphics seen in connection with Isis are no less curious than
those already described, but it is impossible to enumerate all, for many
symbols were used interchangeably by the Egyptian Hermetists. The
goddess often wore upon her head a hat made of cypress branches, to signify
mourning for her dead husband and also for the physical death which she
caused every creature to undergo in order to receive a new life in posterity or
a periodic resurrection. The head of Isis is sometimes ornamented with a
crown of gold or a garland of olive leaves, as conspicuous marks of her
sovereignty as queen of the world and mistress of the entire universe. The
crown of gold signifies also the aurific unctuosity or sulphurous fatness of
the solar and vital fires which she dispenses to every individual by a
continual circulation of the elements, this circulation being symbolized by
the musical rattle which she carries in her hand. This sistrum is also the
yonic symbol of purity.
A serpent interwoven among the olive leaves on her head, devouring its own
tail, denotes that the aurific unctuosity was soiled with the venom of
terrestrial corruption which surrounded it and must be mortified and purified
by seven planetary circulations or purifications called flying eagles
(alchemical terminology) in order to make it medicinal for the restoration of
health. (Here the emanations from the sun are recognized as a medicine for
the healing of human ills.) The seven planetary circulations are represented
by the circumambulations of the Masonic lodge; by the marching of the
Jewish priests seven times around the walls of Jericho, and of the
Mohammedan priests seven times around the Kabba at Mecca. From the
crown of gold project three horns of plenty, signifying the abundance of the
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gifts of Nature proceeding from one root having its origin in the heavens
(head of Isis).
In this figure the pagan naturalists represent all the vital powers of the three
kingdoms and families of sublunary nature-mineral, plant, and animal (man
considered as an animal). At one of her ears was the moon and at the other
the sun, to indicate that these two were the agent and patient, or father and
mother principles of all natural objects; and that Isis, or Nature, makes use of
these two luminaries to communicate her powers to the whole empire of
animals, vegetables, and minerals. On the back of her neck were the
characters of the planets and the signs of the zodiac which assisted the
planets in their functions. This signified that the heavenly influences directed
the destinies of the principles and sperms of all things, because they were the
governors of all sublunary bodies, which they transformed into little worlds
made in the image of the greater universe.
Isis holds in her right hand a small sailing ship with the spindle of a spinning
wheel for its mast. From the top of the mast projects a water jug, its handle
shaped like a serpent swelled with venom. This indicates that Isis steers the
bark of life, full of troubles and miseries, on the stormy ocean of Time. The
spindle symbolizes the fact that she spins and cuts the thread of Life. These
emblems further signify that Isis abounds in humidity, by means of which
she nourishes all natural bodies, preserving them from the heat of the sun by
humidifying them with nutritious moisture from the atmosphere. Moisture
supports vegetation, but this subtle humidity (life ether) is always more or
less infected by some venom proceeding from corruption or decay. It must
be purified by being brought into contact with the invisible cleansing fire of
Nature. This fire digests, perfects, and revitalizes this substance, in order that
the humidity may become a universal medicine to heal and renew all the
bodies in Nature.
The serpent throws off its skin annually and is thereby renewed (symbolic of
the resurrection of the spiritual life from the material nature). This renewal
of the earth takes place every spring, when the vivifying spirit of the sun
returns to the countries of the Northern Hemisphere,
The symbolic Virgin carries in her left hand a sistrum and a cymbal, or
square frame of metal, which when struck gives the key-note of Nature (Fa);
sometimes also an olive branch, to indicate the harmony she preserves
among natural things with her regenerating power. By the processes of death
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and corruption she gives life to a number of creatures of diverse forms
through periods of perpetual change. The cymbal is made square instead of
the usual triangular shape in order to symbolize that all things are
transmuted and regenerated according to the harmony of the four elements.
From the right breast of Isis protruded a bunch of grapes and from, the left
an ear of corn or a sheaf of wheat, golden in color. These indicate that
Nature is the source of nutrition for plant, animal, and human life,
nourishing all things from herself. The golden color in the wheat (corn)
indicates that in the sunlight or spiritual gold is concealed the first sperm of
all life.
On the girdle surrounding the upper part of the body of the statue appear a
number of mysterious emblems. The girdle is joined together in front by four
golden plates (the elements), placed in the form of a square. This signified
that Isis, or Nature, the first matter (alchemical terminology), was the
essence- of the four elements (life, light, heat, and force), which
quintessence generated all things. Numerous stars are represented on this
girdle, thereby indicating their influence in darkness as well as the influence
of the sun in light. Isis is the Virgin immortalized in the constellation of
Virgo, where the World Mother is placed with the serpent under her feet and
a crown. of stars on her head. In her arms she carries a sheaf of grain and
sometimes the young Sun God.
The statue of Isis was placed on a pedestal of dark stone ornamented with
rams' heads. Her feet trod upon a number of venomous reptiles. This
indicates that Nature has power to free from acidity or saltness all corrosives
and to overcome all impurities from terrestrial corruption adhering to bodies.
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The rams' heads indicate that the most auspicious time for the generation of
life is during the period when the sun passes through the sign of Aries. The
serpents under her feet indicate that Nature is inclined to preserve life and to
heal disease by expelling impurities and corruption.
In this sense the axioms known to the ancient philosophers are verified;
namely:
Therefore, in contemplating the statue of Isis, we must not lose sight of the
occult sense of its allegories; otherwise, the Virgin remains an inexplicable
enigma.
From a golden ring on her left arm a line descends, to the end of which is
suspended a deep box filled with flaming coals and incense. Isis, or Nature
personified, carries with her the sacred fire, religiously preserved and kept
burning in. a special temple by the vestal virgins. This fire is the genuine,
immortal flame of Nature--ethereal, essential, the author of life. The
inconsumable oil; the balsam of life, so much praised by the wise and so
often referred to in the Scriptures, is frequently symbolized as the fuel of this
immortal flame.
From the right arm of the figure also descends a thread, to the end of which
is fastened a pair of scales, to denote the exactitude of Nature in her weights
and measures. Isis is often represented as the symbol of justice, because
Nature is eternally consistent.
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Aroueris, or Thoth, one of the five immortals, protected the infant Horus from the wrath of Typhon after the
murder of Osiris. He also revised the ancient Egyptian calendar by increasing the year from 360 days to
365. Thoth Hermes was called "The Dog-Headed" because of his faithfulness and integrity. He is shown
crowned with a solar nimbus, carrying in one hand the Crux Ansata, the symbol of eternal life, and in the
other a serpent-wound staff symbolic of his dignity as counselor of the gods.
The World Virgin is sometimes shown standing between two great pillars--
the Jachin and Boaz of Freemasonry--symbolizing the fact that Nature
attains productivity by means of polarity. As wisdom personified, Isis stands
between the pillars of opposites, demonstrating that understanding is always
found at the point of equilibrium and that truth is often crucified between the
two thieves of apparent contradiction.
The sheen of gold in her dark hair indicates that while she is lunar, her
power is due to the sun's rays, from which she secures her ruddy
complexion. As the moon is robed in the reflected light of the sun, so Isis,
like the virgin of Revelation, is clothed in the glory of solar luminosity.
Apuleius states that while he was sleeping he beheld the venerable goddess
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Isis rising out of the ocean. The ancients realized that the primary forms of
life first came out of water, and modem science concurs in this view. H. G.
Wells, in his Outline of History, describing primitive life on the earth, states:
"But though the ocean and intertidal water already swarmed with life, the
land above the high-tide line was still, so far as we can guess, a stony
wilderness without a trace of life." In the next chapter he adds: "Wherever
the shore-line ran there was life, and that life went on in and by and with
water as its home, its medium, and its fundamental necessity." The ancients
believed that the universal sperm proceeded from warm vapor, humid but
fiery. The veiled Isis, whose very coverings represent vapor, is symbolic of
this humidity, which is the carrier or vehicle for the sperm life of the sun,
represented by a child in her arms. Because the sun, moon, and stars in
setting appear to sink into the sea and also because the water receives their
rays into itself, the sea was believed to be the breeding ground for the sperm
of living things. This sperm is generated from the combination of the
influences of the celestial bodies; hence Isis is sometimes represented as
pregnant.
Frequently the statue of Isis was accompanied by the figure of a large black
and white ox. The ox represents either Osiris as Taurus, the bull of the
zodiac, or Apis, an animal sacred to Osiris because of its peculiar markings
and colorings. Among the Egyptians, the bull was a beast of burden. Hence
the presence of the animal was a reminder of the labors patiently performed
by Nature that all creatures may have life and health. Harpocrates, the God
of Silence, holding his fingers to his mouth, often accompanies the statue of
Isis. He warns all to keep the secrets of the wise from those unfit to know
them.
The Druids of Britain and Gaul had a deep knowledge concerning the
mysteries of Isis and worshiped her under the symbol of the moon. Godfrey
Higgins considers it a mistake to regard Isis as synonymous with the moon.
The moon was chosen for Isis because of its dominion over water. The
Druids considered the sun to be the father and the moon the mother of all
things. By means of these symbols they worshiped Universal Nature.
The figure of Isis is sometimes used to represent the occult and magical arts,
such as necromancy, invocation, sorcery, and thaumaturgy. In one of the
myths concerning her, Isis is said to have conjured the invincible God of
Eternities, Ra, to tell her his secret and sacred name, which he did. This
name is equivalent to the Lost Word of Masonry. By means of this Word, a
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magician can demand obedience from the invisible and superior deities. The
priests of Isis became adepts in the use of the unseen forces of Nature. They
understood hypnotism, mesmerism, and similar practices long before the
modem world dreamed of their existence.
No complete records are available which give the secret doctrine of the
Egyptians concerning the relationship existing between the spirit, or
consciousness, and the body which it inhabited. It is reasonably certain,
however, that Pythagoras, who had been initiated in the Egyptian temples,
when he promulgated the doctrine of metempsychosis, restated, in part at
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least, the teachings of the Egyptian initiates. The popular supposition that the
Egyptians mummified their dead in order to preserve the form for a physical
resurrection is untenable in the light of modern knowledge regarding their
philosophy of death. In the fourth book of On Abstinence from Animal Food,
Porphyry describes an Egyptian custom of purifying the dead by removing
the contents of the abdominal cavity, which they placed in a separate chest.
He then reproduces the following oration which had been translated out of
the Egyptian tongue by Euphantus: "O sovereign Sun, and all ye Gods who
impart life to men, receive me, and deliver me to the eternal Gods as a
cohabitant. For I have always piously worshipped those divinities which
were pointed out to me by my parents as long as I lived in this age, and have
likewise always honored those who procreated my body. And, with respect
to other men, I have never slain any one, nor defrauded any one of what he
deposited with me, nor have I committed any other atrocious deed. If,
therefore, during my life I have acted erroneously, by eating or drinking
things which it is unlawful to cat or drink, I have not erred through myself,
but through these" (pointing to the chest which contained the viscera). The
removal of the organs identified as the seat of the appetites was considered
equivalent to the purification of the body from their evil influences.
So literally did the early Christians interpret their Scriptures that they
preserved the bodies of their dead by pickling them in salt water, so that on
the day of resurrection the spirit of the dead might reenter a complete and
perfectly preserved body. Believing that the incisions necessary to the
embalming process and the removal of the internal organs would prevent the
return of the spirit to its body, the Christians buried their dead without
resorting to the more elaborate mummification methods employed by the
Egyptian morticians.
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species of Talisman or material basis for the manifestation of the Soul upon
earth."
During the period of its inception mummification was limited to the Pharaoh
and such other persons of royal rank as presumably partook of the attributes
of the great Osiris, the divine, mummified King of the Egyptian Underworld.
There is a romance between the active principle of God and the passive principle of Nature. From the
union of these two principles is produced the rational creation. Man is a composite creature. From his
Father (the active principle) he inherits his Divine Spirit, the fire of aspiration--that immortal part of
himself which rises triumphant from the broken clay of mortality: that part which remains after the natural
organisms have disintegrated or have been regenerated. From his Mother (the passive principle) he
inherits his body--that part over which the laws of Nature have control: his humanity, his mortal
personality, his appetites, his feelings, and his emotions. The Egyptians also believed that Osiris was the
river Nile and that Isis (his sister-wife) was the contiguous land, which, when inundated by the river, bore
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fruit and harvest. The murky water of the Nile were believed to account for the blackness of Osiris, who
was generally symbolized as being of ebony hue.
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Among all the nations of antiquity, altars, mounds, and temples were
dedicated to the worship of the orb of day. The ruins of these sacred places
yet remain, notable among them being the pyramids of Yucatan and Egypt,
the snake mounds of the American Indians, the Zikkurats of Babylon and
Chaldea, the round towers of Ireland, and the massive rings of uncut stone in
Britain and Normandy. The Tower of Babel, which, according to the
Scriptures, was built so that man might reach up to God, was probably an
astronomical observatory.
Many early priests and prophets, both pagan and Christian, were versed in
astronomy and astrology; their writings are best understood when read in the
light of these ancient sciences. With the growth of man's knowledge of the
constitution and periodicity of the heavenly bodies, astronomical principles
and terminology were introduced into his religious systems. The tutelary
gods were given planetary thrones, the celestial bodies being named after the
deities assigned to them. The fixed stars were divided into constellations,
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and through these constellations wandered the sun and its planets, the latter
with their accompanying satellites.
The sun, as supreme among the celestial bodies visible to the astronomers of
antiquity, was assigned to the highest of the gods and became symbolic of
the supreme authority of the Creator Himself. From a deep philosophic
consideration of the powers and principles of the sun has come the concept
of the Trinity as it is understood in the world today. The tenet of a Triune
Divinity is not peculiar to Christian or Mosaic theology, but forms a
conspicuous part of the dogma of the greatest religions of both ancient and
modern times. The Persians, Hindus, Babylonians, and Egyptians had their
Trinities. In every instance these represented the threefold form of one
Supreme Intelligence. In modern Masonry, the Deity is symbolized by an
equilateral triangle, its three sides representing the primary manifestations of
the Eternal One who is Himself represented as a tiny flame, called by the
Hebrews Yod (). Jakob Bhme, the Teutonic mystic, calls the Trinity The
Three Witnesses, by means of which the Invisible is made known to the
visible, tangible universe.
The origin of the Trinity is obvious to anyone who will observe the daily
manifestations of the sun. This orb, being the symbol of all Light, has three
distinct phases: rising, midday, and setting. The philosophers therefore
divided the life of all things into three distinct parts: growth, maturity, and
decay. Between the twilight of dawn and the twilight of evening is the high
noon of resplendent glory. God the Father, the Creator of the world, is
symbolized by the dawn. His color is blue, because the sun rising in the
morning is veiled in blue mist. God the Son he Illuminating One sent to bear
witness of His Father before all the worlds, is the celestial globe at noonday,
radiant and magnificent, the maned Lion of Judah, the Golden-haired Savior
of the World. Yellow is His color and His power is without end. God the
Holy Ghost is the sunset phase, when the orb of day, robed in flaming red,
rests for a moment upon the horizon line and then vanishes into the darkness
of the night to wandering the lower worlds and later rise again triumphant
from the embrace of darkness.
To the Egyptians the sun was the symbol of immortality, for, while it died
each night, it rose again with each ensuing dawn. Not only has the sun this
diurnal activity, but it also has its annual pilgrimage, during which time it
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passes successively through the twelve celestial houses of the heavens,
remaining in each for thirty days. Added to these it has a third path of travel,
which is called the precession of the equinoxes, in which it retrogrades
around the zodiac through the twelve signs at the rate of one degree every
seventy-two years.
Concerning the annual passage of the sun through the twelve houses of the
heavens, Robert Hewitt Brown, 32, makes the following statement: "The
Sun, as he pursued his way among these 'living creatures' of the zodiac, was
said, in allegorical language, either to assume the nature of or to triumph
over the sign he entered. The sun thus became a Bull in Taurus, and was
worshipped as such by the Egyptians under the name of Apis, and by the
Assyrians as Bel, Baal, or Bul. In Leo the sun became a Lion-slayer,
Hercules, and an Archer in Sagittarius. In Pisces, the Fishes, he was a fish--
Dagon, or Vishnu, the fish-god of the Philistines and Hindoos."
The Egyptian priests in many of their ceremonies wore the skins of lions,
which were symbols of the solar orb, owing to the fact that the sun is
exalted, dignified, and most fortunately placed in the constellation of Leo,
which he rules and which was at one time the keystone of the celestial arch.
Again, Hercules is the Solar Deity, for as this mighty hunter performed his
twelve labors, so the sun, in traversing the twelve houses of the zodiacal
band, performs during his pilgrimage twelve essential and benevolent labors
for the human race and for Nature in general, Hercules, like the Egyptian
priests, wore the skin of a lion for a girdle. Samson, the Hebrew hero, as his
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name implies, is also a solar deity. His fight with the Nubian lion, his battles
with the Philistines, who represent the Powers of Darkness, and his
memorable feat of carrying off the gates of Gaza, all refer to aspects of solar
activity. Many of the ancient peoples had more than one solar deity; in fact,
all of the gods and goddesses were supposed to partake, in part at least, of
the sun's effulgence.
The golden ornaments used by the priestcraft of the various world religions
are again a subtle reference to the solar energy, as are also the crowns of
kings. In ancient times, crowns had a number of points extending outward
like the rays of the sun, but modern conventionalism has, in many cases,
either removed the points or else bent: them inward, gathered them together,
and placed an orb or cross upon the point where they meet. Many of the
ancient prophets, philosophers, and dignitaries carried a scepter, the upper
end of which bore a representation of the solar globe surrounded by
emanating rays. All the kingdoms of earth were but copies of the kingdoms
of Heaven, and the kingdoms of Heaven were best symbolized by the solar
kingdom, in which the sun was the supreme ruler, the planets his privy
council, and all Nature the subjects of his empire.
Many deities have been associated with the sun. The Greeks believed that
Apollo, Bacchus, Dionysos, Sabazius, Hercules, Jason, Ulysses, Zeus,
Uranus, and Vulcan partook of either the visible or invisible attributes of the
sun. The Norwegians regarded Balder the Beautiful as a solar deity, and
Odin is often connected with the celestial orb, especially because of his one
eye. Among the Egyptians, Osiris, Ra, Anubis, Hermes, and even the
mysterious Ammon himself had points of resemblance with the solar disc.
Isis was the mother of the sun, and even Typhon, the Destroyer, was
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supposed to be a form of solar energy. The Egyptian sun myth finally
centered around the person of a mysterious deity called Serapis. The two
Central American deities, Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl, while often
associated with the winds, were also undoubtedly solar gods.
In Masonry the sun has many symbols. One expression of the solar energy is
Solomon, whose name SOL-OM-ON is the name for the Supreme Light in
three different languages. Hiram Abiff, the CHiram (Hiram) of the Chaldees,
is also a solar deity, and the story of his attack and murder by the Ruffians,
with its solar interpretation, will be found in the chapter The Hiramic
Legend. A striking example of the important part which the sun plays in the
symbols and rituals of Freemasonry is given by George Oliver, D.D., in his
Dictionary of Symbolical Masonry, as follows:
"The sun rises in the east, and in the east is the place for the Worshipful
Master. As the sun is the source of all light and warmth, so should the
Worshipful Master enliven and warm the brethren to their work. Among the
ancient Egyptians the sun was the symbol of divine providence." The
hierophants of the Mysteries were adorned with many. insignia emblematic
of solar power. The sunbursts of gilt embroidery on the back of the
vestments of the Catholic priesthood signify that the priest is also an
emissary and representative of Sol Invictus.
The philosophers of Greece and Egypt divided the life of the sun during the
year into four parts; therefore they symbolized the Solar Man by four
different figures. When He was born in the winter solstice, the Sun God was
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symbolized as a dependent infant who in some mysterious manner had
managed to escape the Powers of Darkness seeking to destroy Him while He
was still in the cradle of winter. The sun, being weak at this season of the
year, had no golden rays (or locks of hair), but the survival of the light
through the darkness of winter was symbolized by one tiny hair which alone
adorned the head of the Celestial Child. (As the birth of the sun took place in
Capricorn, it was often represented as being suckled by a goat.)
At the vernal equinox, the sun had grown to be a beautiful youth. His golden
hair hung in ringlets on his shoulders and his light, as Schiller said, extended
to all parts of infinity. At the summer solstice, the sun became a strong man,
heavily bearded, who, in the prime of maturity, symbolized the fact that
Nature at this period of the year is strongest and most fecund. At the
autumnal equinox, the sun was pictured as an aged man, shuffling along
with bended back and whitened locks into the oblivion of winter darkness.
Thus, twelve months were assigned to the sun as the length of its life.
During this period it circled the twelve signs of the zodiac in a magnificent
triumphal march. When fall came, it entered, like Samson, into the house of
Delilah (Virgo), where its rays were cut off and it lost its strength. In
Masonry, the cruel winter months are symbolized by three murderers who
sought to destroy the God of Light and Truth.
The coming of the sun was hailed with joy; the time of its departure was
viewed as a period to be set aside for sorrow and unhappiness. This glorious,
radiant orb of day, the true light "which lighteth every man who cometh into
the world," the supreme benefactor, who raised all things from the dead,
who fed the hungry multitudes, who stilled the tempest, who after dying rose
again and restored all things to life--this Supreme Spirit of humanitarianism
and philanthropy is known to Christendom as Christ, the Redeemer of
worlds, the Only Begotten of The Father, the Word made Flesh, and the
Hope of Glory.
The pagans set aside the 25th of December as the birthday of the Solar Man.
They rejoiced, feasted, gathered in processions, and made offerings in the
temples. The darkness of winter was over and the glorious son of light was
returning to the Northern Hemisphere. With his last effort the old Sun God
had torn down the house of the Philistines (the Spirits of Darkness) and had
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cleared the way for the new sun who was born that day from the depths of
the earth amidst the symbolic beasts of the lower world.
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was formerly called the feast of the Passage of the Virgin (Beausobre, tome
i. p. 350); and in the Library of the Fathers (Bibl. Part. vol. II. part ii. p. 212)
we have an account of the Passage of the Blessed Virgin. The ancient
Greeks and Romans fix the assumption of Astraea, who is also this same
Virgin, on that day."
This Virgin mother, giving birth to the Sun God which Christianity has so
faithfully preserved, is a reminder of the inscription concerning her Egyptian
prototype, Isis, which appeared on the Temple of Sais: "The fruit which I
have brought forth is the Sun." While the Virgin was associated with the
moon by the early pagans, there is no doubt that they also understood her
position as a constellation in the heavens, for nearly all the peoples of
antiquity credit her as being the mother of the sun, and they realized that
although the moon could not occupy that position, the sign of Virgo could,
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and did, give birth to the sun out of her side on the 25th day of December.
Albertus Magnus states, "We know that the sign of the Celestial Virgin rose
over the Horizon at the moment at which we fix the birth of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Among certain of the Arabian and Persian astronomers the three stars
forming the sword belt of Orion were called the Magi who came to pay
homage to the young Sun God. The author of Mankind--Their Origin and
Destiny contributes the following additional information: "In Cancer, which
had risen to the meridian at midnight, is the constellation of the Stable and of
the Ass. The ancients called it Prsepe Jovis. In the north the stars of the
Bear are seen, called by the Arabians Martha and Mary, and also the coffin
of Lazarus. "Thus the esotericism of pagandom was embodied in
Christianity, although its keys are lost. The Christian church blindly follows
ancient customs, and when asked for a reason gives superficial and
unsatisfactory explanations, either forgetting or ignoring the indisputable
fact that each religion is based upon the secret doctrines of its predecessor.
The solar orb, like the nature of man, was divided by the ancient sages into
three separate bodies. According to the mystics, there are three suns in each
solar system, analogous to the three centers of life in each individual
constitution. These are called three lights: the spiritual sun, the intellectual
or soular sun, and the material sun (now symbolized in Freemasonry by
three candles). The spiritual sun manifests the power of God the Father; the
soular sun radiates the life of God the Son; and the material sun is the
vehicle of manifestation for God the Holy Spirit. Man's nature was divided
by the mystics into three distinct parts: spirit, soul, and body. His physical
body was unfolded and vitalized by the material sun; his spiritual nature was
illuminated by the spiritual sun; and his intellectual nature was redeemed by
the true light of grace--the soular sun. The alignment of these three globes in
the heavens was one explanation offered for the peculiar fact that the orbits
of the planets are not circular but elliptical.
The pagan priests always considered the solar system as a Grand Man, and
drew their analogy of these three centers of activity from the three main
centers of life in the human body: the brain, the heart, and the generative
system. The Transfiguration of Jesus describes three tabernacles, the largest
being in the center (the heart), and a smaller one on either side (the brain and
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the generative system). It is possible that the philosophical hypothesis of the
existence of the three suns is based upon a peculiar natural phenomenon
which has occurred many times in history. In the fifty- first year after Christ
three suns were seen at once in the sky and also in the sixty-sixth year. In the
sixty-ninth year, two suns were seen together. According to William Lilly,
between the years 1156 and 1648 twenty similar occurrences were recorded.
In the rare treatise The Secret Symbols of The Rosicrucians, Franz Hartmann
defines the sun alchemically as: "The symbol of Wisdom. The Centre of
Power or Heart of things. The Sun is a centre of energy and a storehouse of
power. Each living being contains within itself a centre of life, which may
grow to be a Sun. In the heart of the regenerated, the divine power,
stimulated by the Light of the Logos, grows into a Sun which illuminates his
mind." In a note, the same author amplifies his description by adding: "The
terrestrial sun is the image or reflection of the invisible celestial sun; the
former is in the realm of Spirit what the latter is in the realm of Matter; but
the latter receives its power from the former."
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In the majority of cases, the religions of antiquity agree that the material
visible sun was a reflector rather than a source of power. The sun was
sometimes represented as a shield carried on the arm of the Sun God, as for
example, Frey, the Scandinavian Solar Deity. This sun reflected the light of
the invisible spiritual sun, which was the true source of life, light, and truth.
The physical nature of the universe is receptive; it is a realm of effects. The
invisible causes of these effects belong to the spiritual world. Hence, the
spiritual world is the sphere of causation; the material world is the sphere of
effects; while the intellectual--or soul--world is the sphere of mediation.
Thus Christ, the personified higher intellect and soul nature, is called "the
Mediator" who, by virtue of His position and power, says: "No man cometh
to the Father, but by me."
What the sun is to the solar system, the spirit is to the bodies of man; for his
natures, organs, and functions are as planets surrounding the central life (or
sun) and living upon its emanations. The solar power in man is divided into
three parts, which are termed the threefold human spirit of man. All three of
these spiritual natures are said to be radiant and transcendent; united, they
form the Divinity in man. Man's threefold lower nature--consisting of his
physical organism, his emotional nature, and his mental faculties--reflects
the light of his threefold Divinity and bears witness of It in the physical
world. Man's three bodies are symbolized by an upright triangle; his
threefold spiritual nature by an inverted triangle. These two triangles, when
united in the form of a six-pointed star, were called by the Jews "the Star of
David," "the Signet of Solomon," and are more commonly known today as
"the Star of Zion." These triangles symbolize the spiritual and material
universes linked together in the constitution of the human creature, who
partakes of both Nature and Divinity. Man's animal nature partakes of the
earth; his divine nature of the heavens; his human nature of the mediator.
The Rosicrucians and the Illuminati, describing the angels, archangels, and
other celestial creatures, declared that they resembled small suns, being
centers of radiant energy surrounded by streamers of Vrilic force. From
these outpouring streamers of force is derived the popular belief that angels
have wings. These wings are corona-like fans of light, by means of which
the celestial creatures propel themselves through the subtle essences of the
superphysical worlds.
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True mystics are unanimous in their denial of the theory that the angels and
archangels are human in form, as so often pictured. A human figure would
be utterly useless in the ethereal substances through which they manifest.
Science has long debated the probability of the other planers being
inhabited. Objections to the idea are based upon the argument that creatures
with human organisms could nor possibly exist in the environments of Mars,
Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. This argument fails to take into account
Nature's universal law of adjustment to environment. The ancients asserted
that life originated from the sun, and that everything when bathed in the light
of the solar orb was capable of absorbing the solar life elements and later
radiating them as flora and fauna. One philosophical
Moor describes this figure as follows: "The cast is nine inches in height, representing the glorious god of
day-holding the attributes of VISHNU, seated on a seven-headed serpent; his car drawn by a seven-headed
horse, driven by the legless ARUN, a personification of the dawn, or AURORA." (See Moor's Hindu
Pantheon.)
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concept regarded the sun as a parent and the planers as embryos still
connected to the solar body by means of ethereal umbilical cords which
served as channels to convey life and nourishment to the planets.
Some secret orders have taught that the sun was inhabited by a race of
creatures with bodies composed of a radiant, spiritual ether not unlike in its
constituency the actual glowing ball of the sun itself. The solar heat had no
harmful effect upon them, because their organisms were sufficiently refined
and sensitized to harmonize with the sun's tremendous vibratory rate. These
creatures resemble miniature suns, being a little larger than a dinner plate in
size, although some of the more powerful are considerably larger. Their
color is the golden white light of the sun, and from them emanate four
streamers of Vril. These streamers are often of great length and are in
constant motion. A peculiar palpitation is to be noted throughout the
structure of the globe and is communicated in the form of ripples to the
emanating streamers. The greatest and most luminous of these spheres is the
Archangel Michael; and the entire order of solar life, which resemble him
and dwell upon the sun, are called by modern Christians "the archangels" or
"the spirits of the light.
Gold is the metal of the sun and has been considered by many as crystallized
sunlight. When gold is mentioned in alchemical tracts, it may be either the
metal itself or the celestial orb which is the source, or spirit, of gold. Sulphur
because of its fiery nature was also associated with the sun.
As gold was the symbol of spirit and the base metals represented man's
lower nature, certain alchemists were called "miners" and were pictured with
picks and shovels digging into the earth in search of the precious metal--
those finer traits of character buried in the earthiness of materiality and
ignorance. The diamond concealed in the heart of the black carbon
illustrated the same principle. The Illuminati used a pearl hidden in the shell
of an oyster at the bottom of the sea to signify spiritual powers. Thus the
seeker after truth became a pearl-fisher: he descended into the sea of
material illusion in search of understanding, termed by the initiates "the
Pearl of Great Price."
When the alchemists stated that every animate and inanimate thing in the
universe contained the seeds of gold, they meant that even the grains of sand
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possessed a spiritual nature, for gold was the spirit of all things. Concerning
these seeds of spiritual gold the following Rosicrucian axiom is significant:
"A seed is useless and impotent unless it is put in its appropriate matrix."
Franz Hartmann comments on this axiom with these illuminating words: "A
soul cannot develop and progress without an appropriate body, because it is
the physical body that furnishes the material for its development." (See In
the Pronaos of the Temple of Wisdom.)
The purpose of alchemy was not to make something out of nothing but
rather to fertilize and nurture the seed which was already present. Its
processes did nor actually create gold but rather made the ever-present seed
of gold grow and flourish. Everything which exists has a spirit--the seed of
Divinity within itself--and regeneration is not the process of attempting to
place something where it previously had not existed. Regeneration actually
means the unfoldment of the omnipresent Divinity in man, that this Divinity
may shine forth as a sun and illumine all with whom it comes in contact.
Apuleius said when describing his initiation (vide ante): "At midnight I saw
the sun shining with a splendid light." The midnight sun was also part of the
mystery of alchemy. It symbolized the spirit in man shining through the
darkness of his human organisms. It also referred to the spiritual sun in the
solar system, which the mystic could see as well at midnight as at high noon,
the material earth bring powerless to obstruct the rays of this Divine orb.
The mysterious lights which illuminated the temples of the Egyptian
Mysteries during the nocturnal hours were said by some to he reflections of
the spiritual sun gathered by the magical powers of the priests. The weird
light seen ten miles below the surface of the earth by I-AM-THE-MAN in
that remarkable Masonic allegory Etidorhpa (Aphrodite spelt backward)
may well refer to the mysterious midnight sun of the ancient rites.
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The Egyptian Demon, Typhon, was symbolized as part crocodile and part:
hog because these animals are gross and earthy in both appearance and
temperament. Since the world began, living things have feared the darkness;
those few creatures who use it as a shield for their maneuvers were usually
connected with the Spirit of Evil. Consequently cats, bats, toads, and owls
are associated with witchcraft. In certain parts of Europe it is still believed
that at night black magicians assume the bodies of wolves and roam around
destroying. From this notion originated the stories of the werewolves.
Serpents, because they lived in the earth, were associated with the Spirit of
Darkness. As the battle between Good and Evil centers around the use of the
generative forces of Nature, winged serpents represent the regeneration of
the animal nature of man or those Great Ones in whom this regeneration is
complete. Among the Egyptians the sun's rays are often shown ending in
human hands. Masons will find a connection between these hands and the
well-known Paw of the Lion which raises all things to life with its grip.
SOLAR COLORS
The theory so long held of three primary and four secondary colors is purely
exoteric, for since the earliest periods it has been known that there are seven,
and not three, primary colors, the human eye being capable of estimating
only three of them. Thus, although green can be made by combining blue
and yellow, there is also a true or primary green which is not a compound.
This can he proved by breaking up the spectrum with a prism. Helmholtz
found that the so-called secondary colors of the spectrum could not be
broken up into their supposed primary colors. Thus the orange of the
spectrum, if passed through a second prism, does not break up into red and
yellow but remains orange.
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The ancients conceived the spirit of man to correspond with the color blue,
the mind with yellow, and the body with red. Heaven is therefore blue, earth
yellow, and hell--or the underworld--red. The fiery condition of the inferno
merely symbolizes the nature of the sphere or plane of force of which it is
composed. In the Greek Mysteries the irrational sphere was always
considered as red, for it represented that condition in which the
consciousness is enslaved by the lusts and passions of the lower nature. In
India certain of the gods--usually attributes of Vishnu--are depicted with
blue skin to signify their divine and supermundane constitution. According
to esoteric philosophy, blue is the true and sacred color of the sun. The
apparent orange-yellow shade of this orb is the result of its rays being
immersed in the substances of the illusionary world.
In addition to the colors of the spectrum there are a vast number of vibratory
color waves, some too low and others too high to be registered by the human
optical apparatus. It is appalling to contemplate man's colossal ignorance
concerning these vistas of abstract space. As in the past man explored
unknown continents, so in the future, armed with curious implements
fashioned for the purpose, he will explore these little known fastnesses of
light, color, sound, and consciousness.
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The pagans looked upon the stars as living things, capable of influencing the
destinies of individuals, nations, and races. That the early Jewish patriarchs
believed that the celestial bodies participated in the affairs of men is evident
to any student of Biblical literature, as, for example, in the Book of Judges:
"They fought from heaven, even the stars in their courses fought against
Sisera." The Chaldeans, Phnicians, Egyptians, Persians, Hindus, and
Chinese all had zodiacs that were much alike in general character, and
different authorities have credited each of these nations with being the cradle
of astrology and astronomy. The Central and North American Indians also
had an understanding of the zodiac, but the patterns and numbers of the
signs differed in many details from those of the Eastern Hemisphere.
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The Greeks, and later other peoples influenced by their culture, divided the
band of the zodiac into twelve sections, each being sixteen degrees in width
and thirty degrees in length. These divisions were called the Houses of the
Zodiac. The sun during its annual pilgrimage passed through each of these in
turn, Imaginary creatures were traced in the Star groups bounded by these
rectangles; and because most of them were animal--or part animal--in form,
they later became known as the Constellations, or Signs, of the Zodiac.
Some authorities are of the opinion that the zodiac was originally divided
into ten (instead of twelve) houses, or "solar mansions." In early times there
were two separate standards--one solar and the other lunar--used for the
measurement of the months, years, and seasons. The solar year was
composed of ten months of thirty-six days each, and five days sacred to the
gods. The lunar year consisted of thirteen months of twenty-eight days each,
with one day left over. The solar zodiac at that time consisted often houses
of thirty-six degrees each.
The first six signs of the zodiac of twelve signs were regarded as benevolent,
because the sun occupied them while traversing the Northern Hemisphere.
The 6,000 years during which, according to the Persians, Ahura-Mazda ruled
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His universe in harmony and peace, were symbolic of these six signs. The
second six were considered malevolent, because while the sun was traveling
the Southern Hemisphere it was winter with the Greeks, Egyptians, and
Persians. Therefore these six months symbolic of the 6,000 years of misery
and suffering caused by the evil genius of the Persians, Ahriman, who
sought to overthrow the power of Ahura-Mazda.
Those who hold the opinion that before its revision by the Greeks the zodiac
consisted of only ten signs adduce evidence to show that Libra (the Scales)
was inserted into the zodiac by dividing the constellation of Virgo Scorpio
(at that time one sign) into two parts, thus establishing "the balance" at the
point of equilibrium between the ascending northern and the descending
southern signs. (See The Rosicrucians, Their Rites and Mysteries, by
Hargrave Jennings.) On this subject Isaac Myer states: "We think that the
Zodiacal constellations were first ten and represented an immense
androgenic man or deity; subsequently this was changed, resulting in
Scorpio and Virgo and making eleven; after this from Scorpio, Libra, the
Balance, was taken, making the present twelve." (The Qabbalah.)
Each year the sun passes entirely around the zodiac and returns to the point
from which it started--the vernal equinox--and each year it falls just a little
short of making the complete circle of the heavens in the allotted period of
time. As a result, it crosses the equator just a little behind the spot in the
zodiacal sign where it crossed the previous year. Each sign of the zodiac
consists of thirty degrees, and as the sun loses about one degree every
seventy two years, it regresses through one entire constellation (or sign) in
approximately 2,160 years, and through the entire zodiac in about
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Among the ancients the sun was always symbolized by the figure and nature
of the constellation through which it passed at the vernal equinox. For nearly
the past 2,000 years the sun has crossed the equator at the vernal equinox in
the constellation of Pisces (the Two Fishes). For the 2,160 years before that
it crossed through the constellation of Aries (the Ram). Prior to that the
vernal equinox was in the sign of Taurus (the Bull). It is probable that the
form of the bull and the bull's proclivities were assigned to this constellation
because the bull was used by the ancients to plow the fields, and the season
set aside for plowing and furrowing corresponded to the time at which the
sun reached the segment of the heavens named Taurus.
Albert Pike describes the reverence which the Persians felt for this sign and
the method of astrological symbolism in vogue among them, thus: "In
Zoroaster's cave of initiation, the Sun and Planets were represented,
overhead, in gems and gold, as was also the Zodiac. The Sun appeared,
emerging from the back of Taurus. " In the constellation of the Bull are also
to be found the "Seven Sisters"--the sacred Pleiades--famous to Freemasonry
as the Seven Stars at the upper end of the Sacred Ladder.
In ancient Egypt it was during this period--when the vernal equinox was in
the sign of Taurus--that the Bull, Apis, was sacred to the Sun God, who was
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worshiped through the animal equivalent of the celestial sign which he had
impregnated with his presence at the time of its crossing into the Northern
Hemisphere. This is the meaning of an ancient saying that the celestial Bull
"broke the egg of the year with his horns."
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were derived from groups of stars, and that the starry handwriting on the
wall of the heavens referred to words spelt out, with fixed stars for
consonants, and the planets, or luminaries, for vowels. These, coming into
ever-different combinations, spelt words which, when properly read, foretold
future events.
As the zodiacal band marks the pathway of the sun through the
constellations, it results in the phenomena of the seasons. The ancient
systems of measuring the year were based upon the equinoxes and the
solstices. The year always began with the vernal equinox, celebrated March
21 with rejoicing to mark the moment when the sun crossed the equator
northward up the zodiacal arc. The summer solstice was celebrated when the
sun reached its most northerly position, and the day appointed was June 21.
After that time the sun began to descend toward the equator, which it
recrossed southbound at the autumnal equinox, September 21. The sun
reached its most southerly position at the winter solstice, December 21.
Four of the signs of the zodiac have been permanently dedicated to the
equinoxes and the solstices; and, while the signs no longer correspond with
the ancient constellations to which they were assigned, and from which they
secured their names, they are accepted by modern astronomers as a basis of
calculation. The vernal equinox is therefore said to occur in the constellation
of Aries (the Ram). It is fitting that of all beasts a Ram should be placed at
the head of the heavenly flock forming the zodiacal band. Centuries before
the Christian Era, the pagans revered this constellation. Godfrey Higgins
states: "This constellation was called the 'Lamb of God.' He was also called
the 'Savior,' and was said to save mankind from their sins. He was always
honored with the appellation of 'Dominus' or 'Lord.' He was called the 'Lamb
of God which taketh away the sins of the world.' The devotees addressing
him in their litany, constantly repeated the words, 'O Lamb of God, that
taketh away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. Grant us Thy peace."'
Therefore, the Lamb of God is a title given to the sun, who is said to be
reborn every year in the Northern Hemisphere in the sign of the Ram,
although, due to the existing discrepancy between the signs of the zodiac and
the actual star groups, it actually rises in the sign of Pisces.
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this peculiar creature because the sun, after passing through this house,
proceeds to walk backwards, or descend the zodiacal arc. Cancer is the
symbol of generation, for it is the house of the Moon, the great Mother of all
things and the patroness of the life forces of Nature. Diana, the moon
goddess of the Greeks, is called the Mother of the World. Concerning the
worship of the feminine or maternal principle, Richard Payne Knight writes:
"By attracting or heaving the waters of the ocean, she naturally appeared to
be the sovereign of humidity; and by seeming to operate so powerfully upon
the constitutions of women, she equally appeared to be the patroness and
regulatress of nutrition and passive generation: whence she is said to have
received her nymphs, or subordinate personifications, from the ocean; and is
often represented by the symbol of the sea crab, an animal that has the
property of spontaneously detaching from its own body any limb that has
been hurt or mutilated, and reproducing another in its place." (The
Symbolical Language of Ancient Art and Mythology.) This water sign, being
symbolic of the maternal principle of Nature, and recognized by the pagans
as the origin of all life, was a natural and consistent domicile of the moon.
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THE MICROCOSM.
The period of 2,160 years required for the regression of the sun through one
of the zodiacal constellations is often termed an age. According to this
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system, the age secured its name from the sign through which the sun passes
year after year as it crosses the equator at the vernal equinox. From this
arrangement are derived the terms The Taurian Age, The Aryan Age, The
Piscean Age, and The Aquarian Age. During these periods, or ages, religious
worship takes the form of the appropriate celestial sign--that which the sun
is said to assume as a personality in the same manner that a spirit assumes a
body. These twelve signs are the jewels of his breastplate and his light
shines forth from them, one after the other.
During the Age of Pisces, the Fish was the symbol of divinity and the Sun
God fed the multitude with two small fishes. The frontispiece of Inman's
Ancient Faiths shows the goddess Isis with a fish on her head; and the Indian
Savior God, Christna, in one of his incarnations was cast from the mouth of
a fish.
Not only is Jesus often referred to as the Fisher of Men, but as John P.
Lundy writes: "The word Fish is an abbreviation of this whole title, Jesus
Christ, Son of God, Savior, and Cross; or as St. Augustine expresses it, 'If
you join together the initial letters of the five Greek words,
, which mean Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, they will
make , Fish, in which word Christ is mystically understood, because
He was able to live in the abyss of this mortality as in the depth of waters,
that is, without sin.'" (Monumental Christianity.) Many Christians observe
Friday, which is sacred to the Virgin (Venus), upon which day they shall eat
fish and not meat. The sign of the fish was one of the earliest symbols of
Christianity; and when drawn upon the sand, it informed one Christian that
another of the same faith was near.
Aquarius is called the Sign of the Water Bearer, or the man with a jug of
water on his shoulder mentioned in the New Testament. This is sometimes
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shown as an angelic figure, supposedly androgynous, either pouring water
from an urn or carrying the vessel upon its shoulder. Among Oriental
peoples, a water vessel alone is often used. Edward Upham, in his History
and Doctrine of Budhism, describes Aquarius as being "in the shape of a pot
and of a color between blue and yellow; this Sign is the single house of
Saturn."
When Herschel discovered the planet Uranus (sometimes called by the name
of its discoverer), the second half of the sign of Aquarius was allotted to this
added member of the planetary family. The water pouring from the urn of
Aquarius under the name of "the waters of eternal life" appears many times
in symbolism. So it is with all the signs. Thus the sun in its path controls
whatever form of worship man offers to the Supreme Deity.
There are two distinct systems of astrological philosophy. One of them, the
Ptolemaic, is geocentric: the earth is considered the center of the solar
system, around which the sun, moon, and planets revolve. Astronomically,
the geocentric system is incorrect; but for thousands of years it has proved
its accuracy when applied to the material nature of earthly things. A careful
consideration of the writings of the great occultists and a study of their
diagrams reveal the fact that many of them were acquainted with another
method of arranging the heavenly bodies.
The important point to be remembered is that when the sun was said to be in
a certain sign of the zodiac, the ancients really meant that the sun occupied
the opposite sign and cast its long ray into the house in which they enthroned
it. Therefore, when it is said that the sun is in Taurus, it means
(astronomically) that the sun is in the sign opposite to Taurus, which is
Scorpio. This resulted in two distinct schools of philosophy: one geocentric
and exoteric, the other heliocentric and esoteric. While the ignorant
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multitudes worshiped the house of the sun's reflection, which in the case
described would be the Bull, the wise revered the house of the sun's actual
dwelling, which would be the Scorpion, or the Serpent, the symbol of the
concealed spiritual mystery. This sign has three different symbols. The most
common is that of a Scorpion, who was called by the ancients the backbiter,
being the symbol of deceit and perversion; the second (and less common)
form of the sign is a Serpent, often used by the ancients to symbolize
wisdom.
The Egyptians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians, who knew the sun as a
Bull, called the zodiac a series of furrows, through which the great celestial
Ox dragged the plow of the sun. Hence the populace offered up sacrifice and
led through the streets magnificent steers, bedecked with flowers and
surrounded with priests, dancing girls of the temple, and musicians. The
philosophic elect did not participate in these idolatrous ceremonials, but
advocated them as most suitable for the types of mind composing the mass
of the population. These few possessed a far deeper understanding, as the
Serpent of Scorpio upon their foreheads--the Urus--bore witness.
The sun is often symbolized with its rays in the form of a shaggy mane.
Concerning the Masonic significance of Leo, Robert Hewitt Brown, 32, has
written: "On the 21st of June, when the sun arrives at the summer solstice,
the constellation Leo--being but 30 in advance of the sun--appears to be
leading the way, and to aid by his powerful paw in lifting the sun up to the
summit of the zodiacal arch. * * * This visible connection between the
constellation Leo and the return of the sun to his place of power and glory, at
the summit of the Royal Arch of heaven, was the principal reason why that
constellation was held in such high esteem and reverence by the ancients.
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The astrologers distinguished Leo as the 'sole house of the sun,' and taught
that the world was created when the sun was in that sign. 'The lion was
adored in the East and the West by the Egyptians and the Mexicans. The
chief Druid of Britain was styled a lion.'" (Stellar Theology and Masonic
Astronomy.) When the Aquarian Age is thoroughly established, the sun will
be in Leo, as will be noted from the explanation previously given in this
chapter regarding the distinction between geocentric and heliocentric
astrology. Then, indeed, will the secret religions of the world include once
more the raising to initiation by the Grip of the Lion's Paw. (Lazarus will
come forth.)
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the figure of Harpocrates. Then follows the Scorpion and Sagittarius, to whom the Egyptians gave wings,
and two faces. After Sagittarius are successively placed, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces, the Ram, the Bull,
and the Twins. This Zodiacal procession is, as we have already observed, terminated by Cancer, the Crab."
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numbers, and he symbolized the number ten by the lesser tetractys, an
arrangement of ten dots in the form of an upright triangle.
The early star gazers, after dividing the zodiac into its houses, appointed the
three brightest scars in each constellation to be the joint rulers of that house.
Then they divided the house into three sections of ten degrees each, which
they called decans. These, in turn, were divided in half, resulting in the
breaking up of the zodiac into seventy-two duodecans of five degrees each.
Over each of these duodecans the Hebrews placed a celestial intelligence, or
angel, and from this system, has resulted the Qabbalistic arrangement of the
seventy-two sacred names, which correspond to the seventy-two flowers,
knops, and almonds upon the seven-branched Candlestick of the Tabernacle,
and the seventy-two men who were chosen from the Twelve Tribes to
represent Israel.
The only two signs not already mentioned are Gemini and Sagittarius. The
constellation of Gemini is generally represented as two small children, who,
according to the ancients, were born out of eggs, possibly the ones that the
Bull broke with his horns. The stories concerning Castor and Pollux, and
Romulus and Remus, may be the result of amplifying the myths of these
celestial Twins. The symbols of Gemini have passed through many
modifications. The one used by the Arabians was the peacock. Two of the
important stars in the constellation of Gemini still bear the names of Castor
and Pollux. The sign of Gemini is supposed to have been the patron of
phallic worship, and the two obelisks, or pillars, in front of temples and
churches convey the same symbolism as the Twins.
The sign of Sagittarius consists of what the ancient Greeks called a centaur--
a composite creature, the lower half of whose body was in the form of a
horse, while the upper half was human. The centaur is generally shown with
a bow and arrow in his hands, aiming a shaft far off into the stars. Hence
Sagittarius stands for two distinct principles: first, it represents the spiritual
evolution of man, for the human form is rising from the body of the beast;
secondly, it is the symbol of aspiration and ambition, for as the centaur aims
his arrow at the stars, so every human creature aims at a higher mark than he
can reach.
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tribes of Israel, twelve gates of heaven mentioned in Revelation, and twelve
entrances or portals to be passed through in the Great Pyramid, before finally
reaching the highest degree, and twelve Apostles in the Christian doctrines,
and the twelve original and perfect points in Masonry."
The ancients believed that the theory of man's being made in the image of
God was to be understood literally. They maintained that the universe was a
great organism not unlike the human body, and that every phase and
function of the Universal Body had a correspondence in man. The most
precious Key to Wisdom that the priests communicated to the new initiates
was what they termed the law of analogy. Therefore, to the ancients, the
study of the stars was a sacred science, for they saw in the movements of the
celestial bodies the ever-present activity of the Infinite Father.
In the Third Book of the Mathesis of Julius Firmicus Maternus appears the
following extract concerning the positions of the heavenly bodies at the time
of the establishment of the inferior universe: "According to sculapius,
therefore, and Anubius, to whom especially the divinity Mercury committed
the secrets of the astrological science, the geniture of the world is as follows:
They constituted the Sun in the 15th part of Leo, the Moon in the 15th part
of Cancer, Saturn in the 15th part of Capricorn, Jupiter in the 15th part of
Sagittary, Mars in the 15th part of Scorpio, Venus in the 15th part of Libra,
Mercury in the 15th part of Virgo, and the Horoscope in the 15th part of
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Cancer. Conformably to this geniture, therefore, to these conditions of the
stars, and the testimonies which they adduce in confirmation of this geniture,
they are of opinion that the destinies of men, also, are disposed in
accordance with the above arrangement, as maybe learnt from that book of
sculapius which is called , (i.e. Ten Thousand, or an
innumerable multitude of Genitures) in order that nothing in the several
genitures of men may be found to be discordant with the above-mentioned
geniture of the world." The seven ages of man are under the control of the
planets in the following order: infancy, the moon; childhood, Mercury;
adolescence, Venus; maturity, the sun; middle age, Mars; advanced age,
Jupiter; and decrepitude and dissolution, Saturn.
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From Kircher's dipus gyptiacus.
The inner circle contains the hieroglyph of Hemphta, the triform and pantamorphic deity. In the six
concentric bands surrounding the inner circle are (from within outward): (1) the numbers of the zodiacal
houses in figures and also in words; (2) the modern names of the houses.(3) the Greek or the Egyptian
names of the Egyptian deities assigned to the houses; (4) the complete figures of these deities; (5) the
ancient or the modem zodiacal signs, sometimes both; (6) the number of decans or subdivisions of the
houses.
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"The early priests believed that a great spiritual power was invoked by correct and unabridged sacrificial
ceremonies. If one feature were lacking, the whole was vitiated, says Iamblichus. Hence they were most
careful in all details, for they considered it absolutely essential for the entire chain of logical connections
to be exactly according to ritual. Certainly for no other reason did they prepare and prescribe for future
use the manuals, as it were, for conducting the rites. They learned, too, what the first hieromancers--
possessed, as it were, by a divine fury--devised as a system of symbolism for exhibiting their mysteries.
These they placed in this Tablet of Isis, before the eyes of those admitted to the sanctum sanctorum in order
to teach the nature of the Gods and the prescribed forms of sacrifice. Since each of the orders of Gods had
its own peculiar symbols, gestures, costumes, and ornaments, they thought it necessary to observe these in
the whole apparatus of worship, as nothing was more efficacious in drawing the benign attention of the
deities and genii. * * * Thus their temples, remote from the usual haunts of men, contained representations
of nearly every form in nature. First, in the pavement, they symbolized the physical economy of the world,
using minerals, stones and other things suitable for ornaments, including little streams of water. The walls
showed the starry world, and the done the world of genii. In the center was the altar, to suggest the
emanations of the Supreme Mind from its center. Thus the entire interior constituted a picture of the
Universe of Worlds. The priests in making sacrifices wore raiment adorned with figures similar to those
attributed to the Gods. Their bodies were partially bare like those of the deities, and they themselves were
divested of all material cares and practices the strictest chastity. * * * Their heads were veiled to indicate
their charge of earthly things. Their heads and bodies were shaved, for they regarded hair as a useless
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excrescence. Upon the head they bore the same insignia as those attributed to the Gods. Thus arrayed, they
regarded themselves to be transformed into that intelligence with which they constantly desired to be
identified. For example, in order to call down to the world the soul and spirit of the Universe, they stood
before the image shown in the center of our Tablet, wearing the same symbols as that figure and its
attendants, and offered sacrifices. By these and the accompanying singing of hymns they believed that they
infallibly drew the God's attention to their prayer. And so they did in regard to other regions of the Tablet,
believing of necessity the proper ritual properly carried out would evoke the deity desired. That this was
the origin of the science of oracles is apparent. As a touched chord produces a harmony of sound, likewise
the adjoining chords respond though not touched. Similarly the idea they expressed by their concurrent
acts while adoring the God came into accord with basic Idea and, by an intellectual union, it was returned
to them deiformed, and they thus obtained the Idea of Ideas. Hence there sprang up in their souls, they
thought, the gift of prophecy and divination, and they believed they could foretell future events, impending
evils, etc. For as in the Supreme Mind everything is simultaneous and spaceless, the future is therefore
present in that Mind; and they thought that while the human mind was absorbed in the Supreme by
contemplation, by that union they were enabled to know all the future. Nearly all that is represented in our
Tablet consists of amulets which, by analogy above described, would inspire them, under the described
conditions, with the virtues of the Supreme Power and enable them to receive good and avert evil. They
also believed they could in this magical manner effect cures of diseases; that genii could be induced to
appear to them during sleep and cure or teach them to cure the sick. In this belief they consulted the Gods
about all sort of doubts and difficulties, while adorned with the simulacra of the mystic rite and intently
contemplating the Divine Ideas; and while so enraptured they believed the God by some sign, nod or
gesture communicated with them, whether asleep or awake, concerning the truth or falsity of the matter in
point." (See dipus gyptiacus.)
"Plato was initiated into the 'Greater Mysteries' at the age of 49. The
initiation took place in one of the subterranean halls of the Great Pyramid in
Egypt. The ISIAC TABLE formed the altar, before which the Divine Plato
stood and received that which was always his, but which the ceremony of
the Mysteries enkindled and brought from its dormant state. With this
ascent, after three days in the Great Hall, he was received by the Hierophant
of the Pyramid (the Hierophant was seen only by those who had passed the
three days, the three degrees, the three dimensions) and given verbally the
Highest Esoteric Teachings, each accompanied with Its appropriate Symbol.
After a further three months' sojourn in the halls of the Pyramid, the Initiate
Plato was sent out into the world to do the work of the Great Order, as
Pythagoras and Orpheus had been before him."
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Republic of Venice, and afterwards librarian of St. Mark's. After his death in
1547 the Isiac Tablet was acquired by the House of Mantua, in whose
museum it remained until 1630, when troops of Ferdinand II captured the
city of Mantua. Several early writers on the subject have assumed that the
Tablet was demolished by the ignorant soldiery for the silver it contained.
The assumption, however, was erroneous. The Tablet fell into the hands of
Cardinal Pava, who presented it to the Duke of Savoy, who in turn presented
it to the King of Sardinia. When the French conquered Italy in 1797 the
Tablet was carried to Paris. In 1809, Alexandre Lenoir, writing of the Mensa
Isiaca, said it was on exhibition at the Bibliothque Nationale. Upon the
establishment of peace between the two countries it was returned to Italy. In
his Guide to Northern Italy, Karl Baedeker describes the Mensa Isiaca as
being in the center of Gallery 2 in the Museum of Antiquities at Turin.
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accomplished much towards an exposition of the mysteries of the Tablet.
The master secret, however, eluded even him, as Eliphas Levi has shrewdly
noted in his History of Magic.
"The learned Jesuit, " writes Levi, "divined that it contained the hieroglyphic
key to sacred alphabets, though he was unable to develop the explanation. It
is divided into three equal compartments; above are the twelve houses of
heaven and below are the corresponding distributions of labor [work
periods] throughout the year, while in the middle place are twenty-one
sacred signs answering to the letters of the alphabet. In the midst of all is a
seated figure of the pantomorphic IYNX, emblem of universal being and
corresponding as such to the Hebrew Yod, or to that unique letter from
which all the other letters were formed. The IYNX is encircled by the Ophite
triad, answering to the Three Mother Letters of the Egyptian and Hebrew
alphabets. On the right are the Ibimorphic and Serapian triads; on the left are
those of Nepthys and Hecate, representing active and passive, fixed and
volatile, fructifying fire and generating water. Each pair of triads in
conjunction with the center produces a septenary, and a septenary is
contained in the center. The three septenaries furnish the absolute number of
the three worlds, as well as the complete number of primitive letters, to
which a complementary sign is added, like zero to the nine numerals."
Levi's hint may be construed to mean that the twenty-one figures in the
center section of the Table represent the twenty-one major trumps of the
Tarot cards. If this be so, is not the zero card, cause of so much controversy,
the nameless crown of the Supreme Mind, the crown being symbolized by
the hidden triad in the upper part of the throne in the center of the Table?
Might not the first emanation of this Supreme Mind be well symbolized by a
juggler or magician with the symbols of the four lower worlds spread out on
a table before him: the rod, the sword, the cup, and the coin? Thus
considered, the zero card belongs nowhere among the others but is in fact
the fourth dimensional point from which they all emanated and consequently
is broken up into the twenty-one cards (letters) which, when gathered
together, produce the zero. The cipher appearing upon this card would
substantiate this interpretation, for the cipher, or circle, is emblematic of the
superior sphere from which issue the lower worlds, powers, and letters.
Westcott carefully collected the all too meager theories advanced by various
authorities and in 1887 published his now extremely rare volume, which
contains the only detailed description of the Isiac Tablet published in
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English since Humphreys translated Montfaucon's worthless description in
1721. After explaining his reticence to reveal that which Levi evidently felt
was better left concealed, Westcott sums up his interpretation of the Tablet
as follows:
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"The Isiac Tablet, writes Levi, is a Key to the Ancient Book of Thoth, which has survived to some extent the
lapse of centuries and is pictured to us in the still comparatively ancient set of Tarocchi Cards. To him the
Book of Thoth was a rsum of the esoteric learning of the Egyptians, after the decadence of their
civilization, this lore became crystallized in a hieroglyphic form as the Tarot; this Tarot having become
partially or entirely forgotten or misunderstood, its pictured symbols fell into the hands of the sham
diviners, and of the providers of the public amusement by games of Cards. The modem Tarot, or Tarocchi
pack of cards consists of 78 cards, of which 22 form a special group of trumps, of pictorial design: the
remaining 56 are composed of four suits of 10 numerals and four court cards, King, Queen, Knight, and
Knave or Valet; the suits are Swords (Militaryism), Cups (Sacerdocy), Clubs or Wands (Agriculture), and
Shekels or Coins (Commerce), answering respectively to our Spades, Hearts, Clubs and Diamonds. Our
purpose is with the 22 trumps, these form the special characteristic of the Pack and are the lineal
descendants of the Hieroglyphics of the Tarot. These 22 respond to the letters of the Hebrew and other
sacred alphabets, which fall naturally into three classes of a Trio of Mothers, a Heptad of doubles, and a
duodecad of simple letters. They are also considered as a triad of Heptads and one apart, a system of
Initiation and an Uninitiate." (See Westcott's The Isiac Tablet.)
Planetary. In the middle we see above, the Sun, marked Ops, and below it is
a Solomon's Seal, above a cross; a double triangle Hexapla, one light and
one dark triangle superposed, the whole forming a sort of complex symbol
of Venus. To the Ibimorphos he gives the three dark planets, Venus,
Mercury, and Mars placed around a dark triangle erect, denoting Fire. To the
Nephthan triad he gives three light planets, Saturn, Luna, and Jupiter,
around a light inverted triangle which denotes Water. There is a necessary
connection between water, female power, passive principle, Binah, and
Sephirotic Mother, and Bride. (See the Kabbalah by Mathers.) Note the
ancient signs for the planets were all composed of a Cross, Solar Disc and
Crescent: Venus is a cross below a Sun disc, Mercury, a disc With a crescent
above and cross below, Saturn is a Cross whose lowest point touches the
apex of the crescent; Jupiter is a Crescent whose lowest point touches the
left hand end of a cross: all these are deep mysteries. Note that Levi in his
original plate transposed Serapis and Hecate, but not the Apis noir and Apis
blanc, perhaps because of the head of Bes being associated by him with
Hecate. Note that having referred the 12 simple letters to the lower, the 7
double must correspond to the central region of the planets, and then the
great triad A.M.S. the mother letters representing Air, Water, and Fire
remain to be pictured, around S the Central Iynx, or Yod, by the Ophionian
Triad the two Serpents and the Leonine Sphynx. Levi's word OPS in the
centre is the Latin Ops, Terra, genius of the Earth; and the Greek Ops, Rhea,
or Kubele (Cybele) often drawn as a goddess seated in a chariot drawn by
lions; she is crowned with turrets, and holds a Key." (See The Isiac Tablet.)
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Montfaucon and Lenoir--in fact all writers on the subject since 1651--either
have based their work upon that of Kircher or have been influenced
considerably by him, a careful translation has been made of the latter's
original article (eighty pages of seventeenth century Latin). The double-page
plate at the beginning of this chapter is a faithful reproduction made by
Kircher from the engraving in the Museum of Hieroglyphics. The small
letters and numbers used to designate the figures were added by him to
clarify his commentary and will be used for the same purpose in this work.
Like nearly all religious and philosophical antiquities, the Bembine Table of
Isis has been the subject of much controversy. In a footnote, A. E. Waite--
unable to differentiate between the true and the purported nature or origin of
the Tablet--echoes the sentiments of J.G. Wilkinson, another eminent
exotericus: "The original [Table] is exceedingly late and is roughly termed a
forgery." On the other hand, Eduard Winkelmann, a man of profound
learning, defends the genuineness and antiquity of the Tablet. A sincere
consideration of the Mensa Isiaca discloses one fact of paramount
importance: that although whoever fashioned the Table was not necessarily
an Egyptian, he was an initiate of the highest order, conversant with the most
arcane tenets of Hermetic esotericism.
The Tablet of Isis was originally a table or altar, and its emblems were part
of the mysteries explained by priests. Tables were dedicated to the various
gods and goddesses; in this case Isis was so honored. The substances from
which the tables were made differed according to the relative dignities of the
deities. The tables consecrated to Jupiter and Apollo were of gold; those to
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Diana, Venus, and Juno were of silver; those to the other superior gods, of
marble; those to the lesser divinities, of wood. Tables were also made of
metals corresponding to the planets governed by the various celestials. As
food for the body is spread on a banquet table, so on these sacred altars were
spread the symbols which, when understood, feed the invisible nature of
man.
In his introduction to the Table, Kircher summarizes its symbolism thus: "It
teaches, in the first place, the whole constitution of the threefold world--
archetypal, intellectual, and sensible. The Supreme Divinity is shown
moving from the center to the circumference of a universe made up of both
sensible and inanimate things, all of which are animated and agitated by the
one supreme power which they call the Father Mind and represented by a
threefold symbol. Here also are shown three triads from the Supreme One,
each manifesting one attribute of the first Trimurti. These triads are called
the Foundation, or the base of all things. In the Table is also set forth the
arrangement and distribution of those divine creatures that aid the Father
Mind in the control of the universe. Here [in the upper panel] are to be seen
the Governors of the worlds, each with its fiery, ethereal, and material
insignia. Here also [in the lower panel] are the Fathers of Fountains, whose
duty it is to care for and preserve the principles of all things and sustain the
inviolable laws of Nature. Here are the gods of the spheres and also those
who wander from place to place, laboring with all substances and forms
(Zonia and Azonia), grouped together as figures of both sexes, with their
faces turned to their superior deity."
1. P, S, V--Mendesian Triad.
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2. X, Z, A--Ammonian Triad.
3. B, C, D--Momphtan Triad.
4. F, G, H-Omphtan Triad.
1. G, I, K--Isiac Triad.
2. L, M, N--Hecatine Triad.
3. O, Q, R--Ibimorphous Triad.
4. V, S, W--Ophionic Triad.
5. X, Y, Z--Nephtan Triad.
6. , , --Serapan Triad.
1. , , --Horan Triad.
2. , , --Pandochan Triad.
3. , , --Thaustic Triad.
4. , F, --luristic Triad.
Of these fifteen triads Kircher writes: "The figures differ from each other in
eight highly important respects, i. e., according to form, position, gesture,
act, raiment, headdress, staff, and, lastly, according to the hieroglyphics
placed around them, whether these be flowers, shrubs, small letters or
animals." These eight symbolic methods of portraying the secret powers of
the figures are subtle reminders of the eight spiritual senses of cognition by
means of which the Real Self in man may be comprehended. To express this
spiritual truth the Buddhists used the wheel with eight spokes and raised
their consciousness by means of the noble eightfold path. The ornamented
border enclosing the three main panels of the Table contains many symbols
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consisting of birds, animals, reptiles, human beings, and composite forms.
According to one reading of the Table, this border represents the four
elements; the creatures are elemental beings. According to another
interpretation, the border represents the archetypal spheres, and in its frieze
of composite figures are the patterns of those forms which in various
combinations will subsequently manifest themselves in the material world.
The four flowers at the corners of the Table are those which, because their
blossoms always face the sun and follow its course across the sky, are sacred
emblems of that finer part of man's nature which delights in facing its
Creator.
In the theology of the Egyptians, goodness takes precedence and all things
partake of its nature to a higher or lower degree. Goodness is sought by all.
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It is the Prime Cause of causes. Goodness is self-diffused and hence exists in
all things, for nothing can produce that which it does not have in itself. The
Table demonstrates that all is in God and God is in all; that all is in all and
each is in each. In the intellectual world are invisible spiritual counterparts
of the creatures which inhabit the elemental world. Therefore, the lowest
exhibits the highest, the corporeal declares the intellectual, and the invisible
i,. made manifest by its works. For this reason the Egyptians made images of
substances existing in the inferior sensible world to serve as visible
exemplars of superior and invisible powers. To the corruptible images they
assigned the virtues of the incorruptible divinities, thus demonstrating
arcanely that this world is but the shadow of God, the outward picture of the
paradise within. All that is in the invisible archetypal sphere is revealed in
the sensible corporeal world by the light of Nature.
The Archetypal and Creative Mind--first through its Paternal Foundation and
afterwards through secondary Gods called Intelligences--poured our the
whole infinity of its powers by continuous exchange from highest to lowest.
In their phallic symbolism the Egyptians used the sperm to represent the
spiritual spheres, because each contains all that comes forth from it. The
Chaldeans and Egyptians also held that everything which is a result dwells
in the cause of itself and turns to that cause as the lotus to the sun.
Accordingly, the Supreme Intellect, through its Paternal Foundation, first
created light--the angelic world. Out of that light were then created the
invisible hierarchies of beings which some call the stars; and out of the stars
the four elements and the sensible world were formed. Thus all are in all,
after their respective kinds. All visible bodies or elements are in the invisible
stars or spiritual elements, and the stars are likewise in those bodies; the
stars are in the angels and the angels in the stars; the angels are in God and
God is in all. Therefore, all are divinely in the Divine, angelically in the
angels, and corporeally in the corporeal world, and vice versa. just as the
seed is the tree folded up, so the world is God unfolded.
Proclus says: "Every property of divinity permeates all creation and gives
itself to all inferior creatures. "One of the manifestations of the Supreme
Mind is the power of reproduction according to species which it confers
upon every creature of which it is the divine part. Thus souls, heavens,
elements, animals, plants, and stones generate themselves each according to
its pattern, but all are dependent upon the one fertilizing principle existing in
the Supreme Mind. The fecundative power, though of itself a unit, manifests
differently through the various substances, for in the mineral it contributes to
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material existence, in the plant it manifests as vitality, and in the animal as
sensibility. It imparts motion to the heavenly bodies, thought to the souls of
men, intellectuality to the angels, and superessentiality to God. Thus it is
seen that all forms are of one substance and all life of one force, and these
are co-existent in the nature of the Supreme One.
This doctrine was first expounded by Plato. His disciple, Aristotle, set it
forth in these words: "We say that this Sensible World is an image of
another; therefore since this world is vivid or alive, how much more, then,
that other must live. * * * Yonder, therefore, above the stellar virtues, stand
other heavens to be attained, like the heavens of this world; beyond them,
because they are of a higher kind, brighter and vaster; nor are they distant
from each Other like this one, for they are incorporeal. Yonder, too, exists an
earth, not of inanimate matter, but vivid with animal life and all natural
terrestrial phenomena like this one, but of other kinds and perfections. There
are plants, also, and gardens, and flowing water; there are aquatic animals
but of nobler species. Yonder is air and life appropriate to it, all immortal.
And although the life there is analogous to ours, yet it is nobler, seeing that it
is intellectual, perpetual and unalterable. For if anyone should object and
ask, How in the world above do the plants, etc. above mentioned find
footing, we should answer that they do not have objective existence, for they
were produced by the primal Author in an absolute condition and without
exteriorization. They are, therefore, in the same case as intellect and soul;
they suffer no defect such as waste and corruption, since the beings yonder
are full of energy, strength and joy, as living in a life sublime and being the
issue of one fount and of one quality, compounded of all like sweet savors,
delicate perfumes, harmonious color and sound, and other perfections. Nor
do they move violently about nor intermix nor corrupt each other, but each
perfectly preserves its own essential character; and they are simple and do
not multiply as corporeal beings do."
In the midst of the Table is a great covered throne with a seated female
figure representing Isis, but here called the Pantomorphic IYNX. G. R. S.
Mead defines the IYNX as "a transmitting intelligence." Others have
declared it to be a symbol of Universal Being. Over the head of the goddess
the throne is surmounted by a triple crown, and beneath her feet is the house
of material substance. The threefold crown is here symbolic of the Triune
Divinity, called by the Egyptians the Supreme Mind, and described in the
Sepher ha Zohar as being "hidden and unrevealed." According to the
Hebrew system of Qabbalism, the Tree of the Sephiroth was divided into
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two parts, the upper invisible and the lower visible. The upper consisted of
three parts and the lower of seven. The three uncognizable Sephiroth were
called Kether, the Crown; Chochmah, Wisdom; and Binah, Understanding.
These are too abstract to permit of comprehension, whereas the lower seven
spheres that came forth from them were within the grasp of human
consciousness. The central panel contains seven triads of figures. These
represent the lower Sephiroth, all emanating from the concealed threefold
crown over the throne.
Kircher writes: "The throne denotes the diffusion of the triform Supreme
Mind along the universal paths of the three worlds. Out of these three
intangible spheres emerges the sensible universe, which Plutarch calls the
'House of Horns' and the Egyptians, the 'Great Gate of the Gods.' The top of
the throne is in the midst of diffused serpent-shaped flames, indicating that
the Supreme Mind is filled with light and life, eternal and incorruptible,
removed from all material contact. How the Supreme Mind communicated
His fire to all creatures is clearly set forth in the symbolism of the Table.
The Divine Fire is communicated c to lower spheres through the universal
power of Nature personified by the World Virgin, Isis, here denominated the
IYNX, or the polymorphous all-containing Universal Idea." The word Idea
is here used in its Platonic sense. "Plato believed that there are eternal forms
of all possible things which exist without matter; and to these eternal and
immaterial forms he gave the name of ideas. In the Platonic sense, ideas
were the patterns according to which the Deity fashioned the phenomenal or
ectypal world." (Sir W. Hamilton.)
Kircher describes the 21 figures in the central panel thus: "Seven principal
triads, corresponding to seven superior worlds, are shown in the central
section of the Table. They all originate from the fiery, invisible archetype
[the triple crown of the throne]. The first, the Ophionic or IYNX Triad, V S
W, corresponds to the vital and fiery world and is the first intellectual world,
called by the ancients the Aetherium. Zoroaster says of it: 'Oh, what rigorous
rulers this world has!' The second, or Ibimorphous Triad, O Q R,
corresponds to the second intellectual, or ethereal, world, and is concerned
with the principle of humidity. The third, or Nephtan Triad, X Y Z,
corresponds to the third intellectual and ethereal [world] and is concerned
with fecundity. These are the three triads of the ethereal worlds, which
correspond to the Father Foundation. Then follow the four triads of the
sensible, or material, worlds, of which the first two correspond to the
sidereal worlds, G I K and , namely, Osiris and Isis, Sun and Moon,
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indicated by two bulls. They are followed by two triads--the Hecatine, LM
N, and the Serapan, , corresponding to the sublunary and subterranean
worlds. These complete the seven worlds of primary Genii ruling the natural
universe. Psellus quotes Zoroaster: 'The Egyptians and the Chaldeans, taught
that there were seven corporeal worlds (i. e., worlds ruled by the intellectual
powers);the first is of pure fire; the second, third, and fourth, ethereal; the
fifth, sixth, and seventh, material; the seventh being the one called terrestrial
and hater of light, and is located under the Moon, comprising
within itself the matter called fundus, or foundation. 'These seven, plus the
one invisible crown, constitute the eight worlds. * * *
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"Plato writes that it is needful for the philosopher to know how the seven
circles beneath the first one are arranged according to the Egyptians. The
first triad of fire denotes life; the second, water, over which rule the
Ibimorphous divinities; and the third, air, ruled by Nephta. From the fire the
heavens were created, from the water the earth, and air was the mediator
between them. In the Sephira Yetzirah it is said that from the three originate
the seven, i. e., the height, the depth, the East, the West, the North, and the
South, and the Holy Temple in the center sustaining them all. Is not the Holy
Temple in the center the great throne of the many-formed Spirit of Nature
which is shown in the middle of the Tablet? What are the seven triads but
the seven Powers that rule over the world? Psellus writes: 'The Egyptians
worshipped the triad of faith, truth, and love; and the seven fountains: the
Sun as ruler--the fountain of matter; then the fountain of the archangels; the
fountain of the senses; of judgment; of lightning; of reflections; and of
characters of unknown composition. They say that the highest material
fountains are those of Apollo, Osiris, and Mercury--the fountains of the
centers of the elements. 'Thus, they understood by the Sun as ruler the solar
world; by the material archangelic, the lunar world; by the fountain of the
senses, the world of Saturn; by judgment, Jupiter; by lightning, Mars; by that
of the reflections, or mirrors, the world of Venus; by the fountain of
characters, the world of Mercury. All these are shown by the figures in the
center pane of the Tablet."
The upper panel contains the twelve figures of the zodiac arranged in four
triads. The center figure in each group represents one of the four fixed signs
of the zodiac. S is the sign of Aquarius; Z, Taurus; C, Leo; and G, Scorpio.
These are called the Fathers. In the secret teachings of the Far East these
four figures--the man, the bull, the lion, and the eagle--are called the winged
globes or the four Maharajahs who stand upon the corners of creation. The
four cardinal signs--P, Capricorn; X, Aries; B, Cancer; F, Libra--are called
the Powers. The four common signs--V, Pisces; A, Gemini; E, Virgo; H,
Sagittarius--are called the Minds of the Four Lords. This explains the
meaning of the winged globes of Egypt, for the four central figures--
Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio (called by Ezekiel the Cherubim)--are
the globes; the cardinal and common signs on either side are the wings.
Therefore the twelve signs of the zodiac may be symbolized by four globes,
each with two wings.
The celestial triads are further shown by the Egyptians as a globe (the
Father) from which issue a serpent (the Mind) and wings (the Power). These
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twelve forces are the fabricators of the world, and from them emanate the
microcosm, or the mystery of the twelve sacred animals--representing in the
universe the twelve parts of the world and in man the twelve parts of the
human body. Anatomically, the twelve figures in the upper panel may well
symbolize the twelve convolutions of the brain and the twelve figures in the
lower panel the twelve zodiacal members and organs of the human body, for
man is a creature formed of the twelve sacred animals with his members and
organs under the direct control of the twelve governors or powers resident in
the brain.
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planes emanating from the one divine source. If the Table be considered
from a purely physical basis, the throne becomes symbolic of the generative
system and the Table reveals the secret processes of embryology as applied
to the formation of the material worlds. If a purely physiological and
anatomical interpretation be desired, the central throne becomes the heart,
the Ibimorphous Triad the mind, the Nephtan Triad the generative system,
and the surrounding hieroglyphics the various parts and members of the
human body. From the evolutionary viewpoint the central gate becomes the
point of both entrance and exit. Here also is set forth the process of
initiation, in which the candidate after passing successfully through the
various ordeals is finally brought into the presence of his own soul, which he
alone is capable of unveiling.
The three triads--or the Paternal Foundation--in the central panel represent
the Silent Watchers, the three invisible parts of the nature of man; the two
panels on either side are the quaternary lower nature of man. In the central
panel are 21 figures. This number is sacred to the sun--which consists of
three great powers, each with seven attributes--and by Qabbalistic reduction
21 becomes 3, or the Great Triad.
It will yet be proved that the Table of Isis is directly connected with
Egyptian Gnosticism, for in a Gnostic papyrus preserved in the Bodleian
Library there is a direct reference to the twelve Fathers or Paternities
beneath whom are twelve Fountains. (See Egyptian Magic by S.S.D.D.) That
the lower panel represents the underworld is further emphasized by the two
gates--the great gate of the East and the great gate of the West--for in the
Chaldean theology the sun rises and sets through gates in the underworld,
where it wanders during the hours of darkness. As Plato was for thirteen
years under the instruction of the Magi Patheneith, Ochoaps, Sechtnouphis,
and Etymon of Sebbennithis, his philosophy consequently is permeated with
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the Chaldean and Egyptian system of triads. The Bembine Table is a
diagrammatic exposition of the so-called Platonic philosophy, for in its
design is epitomized the entire theory of mystic cosmogony and generation.
The most valuable guide to the interpretation of this Table is the
Commentaries of Proclus on the Theology of Plato. The Chaldean Oracles
of Zoroaster also contains many allusions to the theogonic principles which
are demonstrated by the Table.
The Theogony of Hesiod contains the most complete account of the Greek
cosmogony myth. Orphic cosmogony has left its impress upon the various
forms of philosophy and religion--Greek, Egyptian, and Syrian--which it
contacted. Chief of the Orphic symbols was the mundane egg from which
Phanes sprang into light. Thomas Taylor considers the Orphic egg to be
synonymous with the mixture from bound and infinity mentioned by Plato in
the Philebus. The egg is furthermore the third Intelligible Triad and the
proper symbol of the Demiurgus, whose auric body is the egg of the inferior
universe.
The New Pantheon by Samuel Boyse contains three plates showing various
sections of the Bembine Table. The author, however, makes no important
contribution to the knowledge of the subject. In The Mythology and Fables
of the Ancients Explained from History, the Abb Banier devotes a chapter
to a consideration of the Mensa Isiaca. After reviewing the conclusions of
Montfaucon, Kircher, and Pignorius, he adds: "I am of the opinion that: it
was a votive table, which some prince or private person had consecrated to
Isis, as an acknowledgment for some benefit which he believed she had
conferred upon him."
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Wonders of Antiquity
IT was a common practice among the early Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans
to seal lighted lamps in the sepulchers of their dead as offerings to the God
of Death. Possibly it was also believed that the deceased could use these
lights in finding his way through the Valley of the Shadow. Later as the
custom became generally established, not only actual lamps but miniatures
of them in terra cotta were buried with the dead. Some of the lamps were
enclosed in circular vessels for protection; and instances have been recorded
in which the original oil was found in them, in a perfect state of
preservation, after more than 2,000 years. There is ample proof that many of
these lamps were burning when the sepulchers were sealed, and it has been
declared that they were still burning when the vaults were opened hundreds
of years later. The possibility of preparing a fuel which would renew itself as
rapidly as it was consumed has been a source of considerable controversy
among medival authors. After due consideration of the evidence at hand, it
seems well within the range of possibility that the ancient priest-chemists did
manufacture lamps that burned, if not indefinitely, at least for considerable
periods of time.
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but because probably the devil set them there, maliciously intending thereby
to obtain fresh credence for a false worship."
Montfaucon, in his Antiquities, agrees in the main with the later deductions
of Kircher, believing the fabled perpetual lamps of the temples to be cunning
mechanical contrivances. He further adds that the belief that lamps burned
indefinitely in tombs was the result of the noteworthy fact that in some cases
fumes resembling smoke poured forth from the entrances of newly opened
vaults. Parties going in later and discovering lamps scattered about the floor
assumed that they were the source of the fumes.
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Ever-burning lamps have been discovered in all parts of the world. Not only
the Mediterranean countries but also India, Tibet, China, and South America
have contributed records of lights which burned continuously without fuel.
The examples which follow were selected at random from the imposing list
of perpetual lamps found in different ages.
Plutarch wrote of a lamp that burned over the door of a temple to Jupiter
Ammon; the priests declared that it had remained alight for centuries without
fuel.
During the early Middle Ages a lamp was found in England which had
burned since the third century after Christ. The monument containing it was
believed to be the tomb of the father of Constantine the Great.
The Lantern of Pallas was discovered near Rome in A.D. 1401. It was found
in the sepulcher of Pallas, son of Evander, immortalized by Virgil in his
neid. The lamp was placed at the head of the body and had burned with a
steady glow for more than 2,000 years.
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Numa Pompilius, King of Rome and magician of considerable power,
caused a perpetual light to burn in the dome of a temple he had created in
honor of an elemental being.
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an automaton which moved when certain stones in the floor of the vault
were stepped upon by an intruder. At that time the Rosicrucian controversy
was at its height, so it was decided that the tomb was that of a Rosicrucian
initiate. A countryman, discovering the tomb and entering, found the interior
brilliantly lighted by a lamp hanging from the ceiling. As he walked, his
weight depressed some of the floor stones. At once a seated figure in heavy
armor began to move. Mechanically it rose to its feet and struck the lamp
with an iron baton, completely destroying it, and thus effectually preventing
the discovery of the secret substance which maintained the flame. How long
the lamp had burned is unknown, but certainly it had been for a considerable
number of years.
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It is related that among the tombs near Memphis and in the Brahmin temples
of India lights have been found in sealed chambers and vessels, but sudden
exposure to the air has extinguished them and caused their fuel to evaporate.
It is now believed that the wicks of these perpetual lamps were made of
braided or woven asbestos, called by the alchemists salamander's wool, and
that the fuel was one of the products of alchemical research. Kircher
attempted to extract oil from asbestos, being convinced that as the substance
itself was indestructible by fire an oil extracted from it would supply the
lamp with a fuel likewise indestructible. After spending two years in
fruitless experimental work, he concluded that the task was impossible of
accomplishment.
Several formul for the making of the fuel for the lamps have been
preserved. In Isis Unveiled, H. P. Blavatsky reprints two of these formul
from early authors--Tritenheim and Bartolomeo Korndorf. One will suffice
to give a general understanding of the process:
"Sulphur. Alum ust. a iv.; sublime them into flowers to ij., of which add
of crystalline Venetian borax (powdered) j.; upon these affuse high
rectified spirit of wine and digest it, then abstract it and pour on fresh; repeat
this so often till the sulphur melts like wax without any smoke, upon a hot
plate of brass: this is for the pabulum, but the wick is to be prepared after
this manner: gather the threads or thrums of the Lapis asbestos, to the
thickness of your middle and the length of your little finger, then put them
into a Venetian glass, and covering them over with the aforesaid depurated
sulphur or aliment set the glass in sand for the space of twenty-four hours, so
hot that the sulphur may bubble all the while. The wick being thus
besmeared and anointed, is to be put into a glass like a scallop-shell, in such
manner that some part of it may lie above the mass of prepared sulphur; then
setting this glass upon hot sand, you must melt the sulphur, so that it may lay
hold of the wick, and when it is lighted, it will burn with a perpetual flame
and you may set this lamp in any place where you please."
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in which nymphs, dryads, or dmons had taken up their abodes and from
which they delivered oracles. While Christian authors have tried to prove
that oracular revelations were delivered by the Devil for the purpose of
misleading humanity, they have not dared to attack the theory of oracles,
because of the repeated reference to it in their own sacred writings. If the
onyx stones on the shoulders of Israel's high priest made known by their
flashings the will of Jehovah, then a black dove, temporarily endowed with
the faculty of speech, could indeed pronounce oracles in the temple of
Jupiter Ammon. If the witch of Endor could invoke the shade of Samuel,
who in turn gave prophecies to Saul, could not a priestess of Apollo call up
the specter of her liege to foretell the destiny of Greece?
The oracle of Apollo at Delphi remains one of the unsolved mysteries of the
ancients. Alexander Wilder derives the name Delphi from delphos, the
womb. This name was chosen by the Greeks be cause of the shape of the
cavern and the vent leading into the depths of the earth. The original name of
the oracle was Pytho, so called because its chambers had been the abode of
the great serpent Python, a fearsome creature that had crept out of the slime
left by the receding flood that had destroyed all human beings except
Deucalion and Pyrrha. Apollo, climbing the side of Mount Parnassus, slew
the serpent after a prolonged combat, and threw the body down the fissure of
the oracle. From that time the Sun God, surnamed the Pythian Apollo, gave
oracles from the vent. With Dionysos he shared the honor of being the
patron god of Delphi.
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immense human being. The connection between the principle of oracular
revelation and the occult significance of the navel is an important secret
belonging to the ancient Mysteries.
The oracle, however, is much older than the foregoing account indicates. A
story of this kind was probably invented by the priests to explain the
phenomena to those inquisitive persons whom they did not consider worthy
of enlightenment regarding the true esoteric nature of the oracle. Some
believe that the Delphic fissure was discovered by a Hypoborean priest, but
as far back as recorded history goes the cave was sacred, and persons came
from all parts of Greece and the surrounding countries to question the
dmon who dwelt in its chimney-like vent. Priests and priestesses guarded it
closely and served the spirit who dwelt therein and who enlightened
humanity through the gift of prophecy.
Some of those who came, being unable to control themselves, and having
temporarily the strength of madmen, tore themselves from those seeking to
restrain them, and, jumping into the vent, perished. In order to prevent others
from doing likewise, a wall was erected around the fissure and a prophetess
was appointed to act as mediator between the oracle and those who came to
question it. According to later authorities, a tripod of gold, ornamented with
carvings of Apollo in the form of Python, the great serpent, was placed over
the cleft, and on this was arranged a specially prepared seat, so constructed
that a person would have difficulty in falling off while under the influence of
the oracular fumes. just before this time, a story had been circulated that the
fumes of the oracle arose from the decaying body of Python. It is possible
that the oracle revealed its own origin.
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For many centuries during its early history, virgin maidens were consecrated
to the service of the oracle. They were called the Phbades, or Pythi, and
constituted that famous order now known as the Pythian priesthood. It is
probable that women were chosen to receive the oracles because their
sensitive and emotional nature responded
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which was brought into the temple through concealed pipes, and just before
mounting the tripod, she chewed a few leaves of the sacred bay tree. It has
been said that the water was drugged to bring on distorted visions, or the
priests of Delphi were able to manufacture an exhilarating and intoxicating
gas, which they conducted by subterranean ducts and released into the shaft
of the oracle several feet below the surface. Neither of these theories has
been proved, however, nor does either in any way explain the accuracy of
the predictions.
When the young prophetess had completed the process of purification, she
was clothed in sanctified raiment and led to the tripod, upon which she
seated herself, surrounded by the noxious vapors rising from the yawning
fissure. Gradually, as she inhaled the fumes, a change came over her. It was
as if a different spirit had entered her body. She struggled, tore her clothing,
and uttered inarticulate cries. After a time her struggles ceased. Upon
becoming calm a great majesty seemed to posses her, and with eyes fixed on
space and body rigid, she uttered the prophetic words. The predictions were
usually in the form of hexameter verse, but the words were often ambiguous
and sometimes unintelligible. Every sound that she made, every motion of
her body, was carefully recorded by the five Hosii, or holy men, who were
appointed as scribes to preserve the minutest details of each divination. The
Hosii were appointed for life, and were chosen from the direct descendants
of Deucalion.
After the oracle was delivered, the Pythia began to struggle again, and the
spirit released her. She was then carried or supported to a chamber of rest,
where she remained till the nervous ecstasy had passed away.
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she becomes wholly possessed by the God. And then, indeed, he is present
with and illuminates her in a separate manner, and is different from the fire,
the spirit, the proper seat, and, in short, from all the visible apparatus of the
place, whether physical or sacred."
Among the celebrities who visited the oracle of Delphi were the immortal
Apollonius of Tyana and his disciple Damis. He made his offerings and,
after being crowned with a laurel wreath and given a branch of the same
plant to carry in his hand, he passed behind the statue of Apollo which stood
before the entrance to the cave, and descended into the sacred place of the
oracle. The priestess was also crowned with laurel and her head bound with
a band of white wool. Apollonius asked the oracle if his name would be
remembered by future generations. The Pythoness answered in the
affirmative, but declared that it would always be calumniated. Apollonius
left the cavern in anger, but time has proved the accuracy of the prediction,
for the early church fathers perpetuated the name of Apollonius as the
Antichrist. (For details of the story see Histoire de la Magie.)
The messages given by the virgin prophetess were turned over to the
philosophers of the oracle, whose duty it was to interpret and apply them.
The communications were then delivered to the poets, who immediately
translated them into odes and lyrics, setting forth in exquisite form the
statements supposedly made by Apollo and making them available for the
populace.
Serpents were much in evidence at the oracle of Delphi. The base of the
tripod upon which the Pythia sat was formed of the twisted bodies of three
gigantic snakes. According to some authorities, one of the processes used to
produce the prophetic ecstasy was to force the young priestess to gaze into
the eyes of a serpent. Fascinated and hypnotized, she then spoke with the
voice of the god.
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During the early history of the Delphian oracle the god spoke only at each
seventh birthday of Apollo. As time went on, however, the demand became
so great that the Pythia was forced to seat herself upon the tripod every
month. The times selected for the consultation and the questions to be asked
were determined by lot or by vote of the inhabitants of Delphi.
It is generally admitted that the effect of the Delphian oracle upon Greek
culture was profoundly constructive. James Gardner sums up its influence in
the following words: "It responses revealed many a tyrant and foretold his
fate. Through its means many an unhappy being was saved from destruction
and many a perplexed mortal guided in the right way. It encouraged useful
institutions, and promoted the progress of useful discoveries. Its moral
influence was on the side of virtue, and its political influence in favor of the
advancement of civil liberty." (See The Faiths of The World.)
The oracle of Dodona was presided over by Jupiter, who uttered prophecies
through oak trees, birds, and vases of brass. Many writers have noted the
similarities between the rituals of Dodona and those of the Druid priests of
Britain and Gaul. The famous oracular dove of Dodona, alighting upon the
branches of the sacred oaks, not only discoursed at length in the Greek
tongue upon philosophy and religion, but also answered the queries of those
who came from distant places to consult it.
The "talking" trees stood together, forming a sacred grove. When the priests
desired answers to important questions, after careful and solemn
purifications they retired to the grove. They then accosted the trees,
beseeching a reply from the god who dwelt therein. When they had stated
their questions, the trees spoke with the voices of human beings, revealing to
the priests the desired information. Some assert that there was but one tree
which spoke--an oak or a beech standing in the very heart of the ancient
grove. Because Jupiter was believed to inhabit this tree he was sometimes
called Phegonus, or one who lives in a beech tree.
Most curious of the oracles of Dodona were the "talking" vases, or kettles.
These were made of brass and so carefully fashioned that when struck they
gave off sound for hours. Some writers have described a row of these vases
and have declared that if one of them was struck its vibrations would be
communicated to all the others and a terrifying din ensue. Other authors
describe a large single vase, standing upon a pillar, near which stood another
column, supporting the statue of a child holding a whip. At the end of the
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whip were a number of swinging cords tipped with small metal balls, and the
wind, which blew incessantly through the open building, caused the balls to
strike against the vase. The number and intensity of the impacts and the
reverberations of the vase were all carefully noted, and the priests delivered
their oracles accordingly.
Another remarkable oracle was the Cave of Trophonius, which stood upon
the side of a hill with an entrance so small that it seemed impossible for a
human being to enter. After the consultant had made his offering at the
statue of Trophonius and had donned the sanctified garments, he climbed the
hill to the cave, carrying in one hand a cake of honey. Sitting down at the
edge of the opening, he lowered his feet into the cavern. Thereupon his
entire body was precipitately
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From Historia Deorum Fatidicorum.
Jupiter was called Dodonean after the city of Dodona in Epirus. Near this city was a hill thickly covered
with oak trees which from the most ancient times had been sacred to Jupiter. The grove was further
venerated because dryads, fauns, satyrs, and nymphs were believed to dwell in its depths. From the ancient
oaks and beeches were hung many chains of tiny bronze bells which tinkled day and night as the wind
swayed the branches. Some assert that the celebrated talking dove of Dodona was in reality a woman,
because in Thessaly both prophetesses and doves were called Peleiadas. It is supposed that the first temple
of Dodona was erected by Deucalion and those who survived the great flood with him. For this reason the
oracle at Dodona was considered the oldest in Greece.
drawn into the cave, which was described by those who had entered it as
having only the dimensions of a fair-sized oven. When the oracle had
completed its revelation, the consultant, usually delirious, was forcibly
ejected from the cave, feet foremost.
Near the cave of the oracle two fountains bubbled out of the earth within a
few feet of each other. Those about to enter the cave drank first from these
fountains, the waters of which seemed to possess peculiar occult properties.
The first contained the water of forgetfulness, and all who drank thereof
forgot their earthly sorrows. From the second fountain flowed the sacred
water of Mnemosyne, or remembrance, for later it enabled those who
partook of it to recall their experiences while in the cave.
Though its entrance was marked by two brass obelisks, the cave, surrounded
by a wall of white stones and concealed in the heart of a grove of sacred
trees, did not present an imposing appearance. There is no doubt that those
entering it passed through strange experiences, for they were obliged to
leave at the adjacent temple a complete account of what they saw and heard
while in the oracle. The prophecies were given in the form of dreams and
visions, and were accompanied by severe pains in the head; some never
completely recovered from the after effects of their delirium. The confused
recital of their experiences was interpreted by the priests according to the
question to be answered. While the priests probably used some unknown
herb to produce the dreams or visions of the cavern, their skill in interpreting
them bordered on the Supernatural. Before consulting the oracle, it was
necessary to offer a ram to the dmon of the cave, and the priest decided by
hieromancy whether the time chosen was propitious and the sacrifice was
satisfactory.
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THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Many of the sculptors and architects of the ancient world were initiates of
the Mysteries, particularly the Eleusinian rites. Since the dawn of time, the
truers of stone and the hewers of wood have constituted a divinely
overshadowed caste. As civilization spread slowly over the earth, cities were
built and deserted; monuments were erected to heroes at present unknown;
temples were built to gods who lie broken in the dust of the nations they
inspired. Research has proved not only that the builders of these cities and
monuments and the sculptors who chiseled out the inscrutable faces of the
gods were masters of their crafts, but that in the world today there are none
to equal them. The profound knowledge of mathematics and astronomy
embodied in ancient architecture, and the equally profound knowledge of
anatomy revealed in Greek statuary, prove that the fashioners of both were
master minds, deeply cultured in the wisdom which constituted the arcana of
the Mysteries .Thus was established the Guild of the Builders, progenitors of
modern Freemasons. When employed to build palaces, temples or combs, or
to carve statues for the wealthy, those initiated architects and artists
concealed in their works the secret doctrine, so that now, long after their
bones have returned to dust, the world realizes that those first artisans were
indeed duly initiated and worthy to receive the wages of Master Masons.
The Seven Wonders of the World, while apparently designed for divers
reasons, were really monuments erected to perpetuate the arcana of the
Mysteries. They were symbolic structures, placed in peculiar spots, and the
real purpose of their erection can be sensed only by the initiated. Eliphas
Levi has noted the marked correspondence between these Seven Wonders
and the seven planets. The Seven Wonders of the World were built by
Widow's sons in honor of the seven planetary genii. Their secret symbolism
is identical with that of the seven seals of Revelation and the seven churches
of Asia.
1. The Colossus of Rhodes, a gigantic brass statue about 109 feet in height
and requiring over twelve years to build, was the work of an initiated artist,
Chares of Lindus. The popular theory--accepted for several hundred years--
that the figure stood with one foot on each side of the entrance to the harbor
of Rhodes and that full-rigged ships passed between its feet, has never been
substantiated. Unfortunately, the figure remained standing but fifty-six
years, being thrown down by an earthquake in 224 B.C. The shattered parts
of the Colossus lay scattered about the ground for more than 900 years,
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when they were finally sold to a Jewish merchant, who carried the metal
away on the backs of 700 camels. Some believed that the brass was
converted into munitions and others that it was made into drainage pipes.
This gigantic gilded figure, with its crown of solar rays and its upraised
torch, signified occultly the glorious Sun Man of the Mysteries, the
Universal Savior.
2. The architect Ctesiphon, in the fifth century B.C., submitted to the Ionian
cities a plan for erecting a joint monument to their patron goddess, Diana.
The place chosen was Ephesus, a city south of Smyrna. The building was
constructed of marble. The roof was supported by 127 columns, each 60 feet
high and weighing over 150 tons. The temple was destroyed by black magic
about 356 B.C., but the world fixes the odious crime upon the tool by means
of which the destruction was accomplished--a mentally deranged man
named Herostratus. It was later rebuilt, but the symbolism was lost. The
original temple, designed as a miniature of the universe, was dedicated to the
moon, the occult symbol of generation.
3. Upon his exile from Athens, Phidias--the greatest of all the Greek
sculptors--went to Olympia in the province of Elis and there designed his
colossal statue of Zeus, chief of the gods of Greece. There is not even an
accurate description of this masterpiece now in existence; only a few old
coins give an inadequate idea of its general appearance. The body of the god
was overlaid with ivory and the robes were of beaten gold. In one hand he is
supposed to have held a globe supporting a figure of the Goddess of Victory,
in the other a scepter surmounted by an eagle. The head of Zeus was archaic,
heavily bearded, and crowned with an olive wreath. The statue was seated
upon an elaborately decorated throne. As its name implies, the monument
was dedicated to the spirit of the planet Jupiter,--one of the seven Logi who
bow before the Lord of the Sun.
4. Eliphas Levi includes the Temple of Solomon among the Seven Wonders
of the World, giving it the place occupied by the Pharos, or Lighthouse, of
Alexandria. The Pharos, named for the island upon which it stood, was
designed and constructed by Sostratus of Cnidus during the reign of Ptolemy
(283-247 B.C.). It is described as being of white marble and over 600 feet
high. Even in that ancient day it cost nearly a million dollars. Fires were
lighted in the top of it and could be seen for miles out at sea. It was
destroyed by an earthquake in the thirteenth century, but remains of it were
visible until A.D. 1350. Being the tallest of all the Wonders, it: was naturally
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assigned to Saturn, the Father of the gods and the true illuminator of all
humanity.
7. The Great Pyramid was supreme among the temples of the Mysteries. In
order to be true to its astronomical symbolism, it must have been constructed
about 70,000 years ago. It was the tomb of Osiris, and was believed to have
been built by the gods themselves, and the architect may have been the
immortal Hermes. It is the monument of Mercury, the messenger of the
gods, and the universal symbol of wisdom and letters.
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TROPHONIUS OF LEBADIA
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This most famous philosopher was born sometime between 600 and 590
B.C., and the length of his life has been estimated at nearly one hundred
years.
"After having acquired all which it was possible for him to learn of the
Greek philosophers and, presumably, become an initiate in the Eleusinian
mysteries, he went to Egypt, and after many rebuffs and refusals, finally
succeeded in securing initiation in the Mysteries of Isis, at the hands of the
priests of Thebes. Then this intrepid 'joiner' wended his way into Phoenicia
and Syria where the Mysteries of Adonis were conferred upon him, and
crossing to the valley of the Euphrates he tarried long enough to become
versed in, the secret lore of the Chaldeans, who still dwelt in the vicinity of
Babylon. Finally, he made his greatest and most historic venture through
Media and Persia into Hindustan where he remained several years as a pupil
and initiate of the learned Brahmins of Elephanta and Ellora." (See Ancient
Freemasonry, by Frank C. Higgins, 32.) The same author adds that the
name of Pythagoras is still preserved in the records of the Brahmins as
Yavancharya, the Ionian Teacher.
Pythagoras was said to have been the first man to call himself a philosopher;
in fact, the world is indebted to him for the word philosopher. Before that
time the wise men had called themselves sages, which was interpreted to
mean those who know. Pythagoras was more modest. He coined the word
philosopher, which he defined as one who is attempting to find out.
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after a short time those holding important positions in the surrounding
colonies sought his counsel in matters of great moment. He gathered around
him a small group of sincere disciples whom he instructed in the secret
wisdom which had been revealed to him, and also in the fundamentals of
occult mathematics, music, and astronomy, which he considered to be the
triangular foundation of all the arts and sciences.
When he was about sixty years old, Pythagoras married one of his disciples,
and seven children resulted from the union. His wife was a remarkably able
woman, who not only inspired him during the years of his life but after his
assassination continued to promulgate his doctrines.
Accounts of the philosopher's death do not agree. Some say that he was
murdered with his disciples; others that, on escaping from Crotona with a
small band of followers, he was trapped and burned alive by his enemies in a
little house where the band had decided to rest for the night. Another
account states that, finding themselves trapped in the burning structure, the
disciples threw themselves into the flames, making of their own bodies a
bridge over which Pythagoras escaped, only to die of a broken heart a short
time afterwards as the result of grieving over the apparent fruitlessness of his
efforts to serve and illuminate mankind.
His surviving disciples attempted to perpetuate his doctrines, but they were
persecuted on every hand and very little remains today as a testimonial to the
greatness of this philosopher. It is said that the disciples of Pythagoras never
addressed him or referred to him by his own name, but always as The Master
or That Man. This may have been because of the fact that the name
Pythagoras was believed to consist of a certain number of specially
arranged letters with great sacred significance. The Word magazine has
printed an article by T. R. Prater, showing that Pythagoras initiated his
candidates by means of a certain formula concealed within
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the letters of his own name. This may explain why the word Pythagoras was
so highly revered.
After the death of Pythagoras his school gradually disintegrated, but those
who had benefited by its teachings revered the memory of the great
philosopher, as during his life they had reverenced the man himself. As time
went on, Pythagoras came to be regarded as a god rather than a man, and his
scattered disciples were bound together by their common admiration for the
transcendent genius of their teacher. Edouard Schure, in his Pythagoras and
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the Delphic Mysteries, relates the following incident as illustrative of the
bond of fellowship uniting the members of the Pythagorean School:
"One of them who had fallen upon sickness and poverty was kindly taken in
by an innkeeper. Before dying he traced a few mysterious signs (the
pentagram, no doubt) on the door of the inn and said to the host, 'Do not be
uneasy, one of my brothers will pay my debts.' A year afterwards, as a
stranger was passing by this inn he saw the signs and said to the host, 'I am a
Pythagorean; one of my brothers died here; tell me what I owe you on his
account.'"
PYTHAGORIC FUNDAMENTALS
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The study of geometry, music, and astronomy was considered essential to a
rational understanding of God, man, or Nature, and no one could accompany
Pythagoras as a disciple who was not thoroughly familiar with these
sciences. Many came seeking admission to his school. Each applicant was
tested on these three subjects, and if found ignorant, was summarily
dismissed.
All men know what they want, but few know what they need. Pythagoras
warned his disciples that when they prayed they should not pray for
themselves; that when they asked things of the gods they should not ask
things for themselves, because no man knows what is good for him and it is
for this reason undesirable to ask for things which, if obtained, would only
prove to be injurious.
The God of Pythagoras was the Monad, or the One that is Everything. He
described God as the Supreme Mind distributed throughout all parts of the
universe--the Cause of all things, the Intelligence of all things, and the
Power within all things. He further declared the motion of God to be
circular, the body of God to be composed of the substance of light, and the
nature of God to be composed of the substance of truth.
Pythagoras declared that the eating of meat clouded the reasoning faculties.
While he did not condemn its use or totally abstain therefrom himself, he
declared that judges should refrain from eating meat before a trial, in order
that those who appeared before them might receive the most honest and
astute decisions. When Pythagoras decided (as he often did) to retire into the
temple of God for an extended period of time to meditate and pray, he took
with his supply of specially prepared food and drink. The food consisted of
equal parts of the seeds of poppy and sesame, the skin of the sea onion from
which the juice had been thoroughly extracted, the flower of daffodil, the
leaves of mallows, and a paste of barley and peas. These he compounded
together with the addition of wild honey. For a beverage he took the seeds of
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cucumbers, dried raisins (with seeds removed), the flowers of coriander, the
seeds of mallows and purslane, scraped cheese, meal, and cream, mixed
together and sweetened with wild honey. Pythagoras claimed that this was
the diet of Hercules while wandering in the Libyan desert and was according
to the formula given to that hero by the goddess Ceres herself.
The favorite method of healing among the Pythagoreans was by the aid of
poultices. These people also knew the magic properties of vast numbers of
plants. Pythagoras highly esteemed the medicinal properties of the sea
onion, and he is said to have written an entire volume on the subject. Such a
work, however, is not known at the present time. Pythagoras discovered that
music had great therapeutic power and he prepared special harmonies for
various diseases. He apparently experimented also with color, attaining
considerable success. One of his unique curative processes resulted from his
discovery of the healing value of certain verses from the Odyssey and the
Iliad of Homer. These he caused to be read to persons suffering from certain
ailments. He was opposed to surgery in all its forms and also objected to
cauterizing. He would not permit the disfigurement of the human body, for
such, in his estimation, was a sacrilege against the dwelling place of the
gods.
Pythagoras taught that friendship was the truest and nearest perfect of all
relationships. He declared that in Nature there was a friendship of all for all;
of gods for men; of doctrines one for another; of the soul for the body; of the
rational part for the irrational part; of philosophy for its theory; of men for
one another; of countrymen for one another; that friendship also existed
between strangers, between a man and his wife, his children, and his
servants. All bonds without friendship were shackles, and there was no
virtue in their maintenance. Pythagoras believed that relationships were
essentially mental rather than physical, and that a stranger of sympathetic
intellect was closer to him than a blood relation whose viewpoint was at
variance with his own. Pythagoras defined knowledge as the fruitage of
mental accumulation. He believed that it would be obtained in many ways,
but principally through observation. Wisdom was the understanding of the
source or cause of all things, and this could be secured only by raising the
intellect to a point where it intuitively cognized the invisible manifesting
outwardly through the visible, and thus became capable of bringing itself en
rapport with the spirit of things rather than with their forms. The ultimate
source that wisdom could cognize was the Monad, the mysterious permanent
atom of the Pythagoreans.
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Pythagoras taught that both man and the universe were made in the image of
God; that both being made in the same image, the understanding of one
predicated the knowledge of the other. He further taught that there was a
constant interplay between the Grand Man (the universe) and man (the little
universe).
Pythagoras believed that all the sidereal bodies were alive and that the forms
of the planets and stars were merely bodies encasing souls, minds, and
spirits in the same manner that the visible human form is but the encasing
vehicle for an invisible spiritual organism which is, in reality, the conscious
individual. Pythagoras regarded the planets as magnificent deities, worthy of
the adoration and respect of man. All these deities, however, he considered
subservient to the One First Cause within whom they all existed temporarily,
as mortality exists in the midst of immortality.
The famous Pythagorean signified the power of choice and was used in
the Mysteries as emblematic of the Forking of the Ways. The central stem
separated into two parts, one branching to
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To the five symmetrical solids of the ancients is added the sphere (1), the most perfect of all created forms.
The five Pythagorean solids are: the tetrahedron (2) with four equilateral triangles as faces; the cube (3)
with six squares as faces; the octahedron (4) with eight equilateral triangles as faces; the icosahedron (5)
with twenty equilateral triangles as faces; and the dodecahedron (6) with twelve regular pentagons as
faces.
the right and the other to the left. The branch to the right was called Divine
Wisdom and the one to the left Earthly Wisdom. Youth, personified by the
candidate, walking the Path of Life, symbolized by the central stem of the ,
reaches the point where the Path divides. The neophyte must then choose
whether he will take the left-hand path and, following the dictates of his
lower nature, enter upon a span of folly and thoughtlessness which will
inevitably result in his undoing, or whether he will take the right-hand road
and through integrity, industry, and sincerity ultimately regain union with
the immortals in the superior spheres.
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The fact that Pythagoras accepted the theory of successive reappearances of
the spiritual nature in human form is found in a footnote to Levi's History of
Magic: "He was an important champion of what used to be called the
doctrine of metempsychosis, understood as the soul's transmigration into
successive bodies. He himself had been (a) Aethalides, a son of Mercury; (b)
Euphorbus, son of Panthus, who perished at the hands of Menelaus in the
Trojan war; (c) Hermotimus, a prophet of Clazomenae, a city of Ionia; (d) a
humble fisherman; and finally (e) the philosopher of Samos."
Pythagoras also taught that each species of creatures had what he termed a
seal, given to it by God, and that the physical form of each was the
impression of this seal upon the wax of physical substance. Thus each body
was stamped with the dignity of its divinely given pattern. Pythagoras
believed that ultimately man would reach a state where he would cast off his
gross nature and function in a body of spiritualized ether which would be in
juxtaposition to his physical form at all times and which might be the eighth
sphere, or Antichthon. From this he would ascend into the realm of the
immortals, where by divine birthright he belonged.
Pythagoras taught that everything in nature was divisible into three parts and
that no one could become truly wise who did not view every problem as
being diagrammatically triangular. He said, "Establish the triangle and the
problem is two-thirds solved"; further, "All things consist of three." In
conformity with this viewpoint, Pythagoras divided the universe into three
parts, which he called the Supreme World, the Superior World, and the
Inferior World. The highest, or Supreme World, was a subtle,
interpenetrative spiritual essence pervading all things and therefore the true
plane of the Supreme Deity itself, the Deity being in every sense
omnipresent, omniactive, omnipotent, and omniscient. Both of the lower
worlds existed within the nature of this supreme sphere.
The Superior World was the home of the immortals. It was also the dwelling
place of the archetypes, or the seals; their natures in no manner partook of
the material of earthiness, but they, casting their shadows upon the deep (the
Inferior World), were cognizable only through their shadows. The third, or
Inferior World, was the home of those creatures who partook of material
substance or were engaged in labor with or upon material substance. Hence,
this sphere was the home of the mortal gods, the Demiurgi, the angels who
labor with men; also the dmons who partake of the nature of the earth; and
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finally mankind and the lower kingdoms, those temporarily of the earth but
capable of rising above that sphere by reason and philosophy.
The digits 1 and 2 are not considered numbers by the Pythagoreans, because
they typify the two supermundane spheres. The Pythagorean numbers,
therefore, begin with 3, the triangle, and 4, the square. These added to the 1
and the 2, produce the 10, the great number of all things, the archetype of the
universe. The three worlds were called receptacles. The first was the
receptacle of principles, the second was the receptacle of intelligences, and
the third, or lowest, was the receptacle of quantities.
Mr. Redgrove has not mentioned the fifth element of the ancient Mysteries,
that which would make the analogy between the symmetrical solids and the
elements complete. This fifth element, or ether, was called by the Hindus
akasa. It was closely correlated with the hypothetical ether of modern
science, and was the interpenetrative substance permeating all of the other
elements and acting as a common solvent and common denominator of
them. The twelve-faced solid also subtly referred to the Twelve Immortals
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who surfaced the universe, and also to the twelve convolutions of the human
brain--the vehicles of those Immortals in the nature of man.
After having drunk from a certain spring one day, one of the Masters of
Pythagoras announced that the spirit of the water had just predicted that a
great earthquake would occur the next day--a prophecy which was fulfilled.
It is highly probable that Pythagoras possessed hypnotic power, not only
over man but also over animals. He caused a bird to change the course of its
flight, a bear to cease its ravages upon a community, and a bull to change its
diet, by the exercise of mental influence. He was also gifted with second
sight, being able to see things at a distance and accurately describe incidents
that had not yet come to pass.
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II. Govern your tongue before all other things, following the gods. This
aphorism warns man that his words, instead of representing him,
misrepresent him, and that when in doubt as to what he should say, he
should always be silent.
III. The wind blowing, adore the sound. Pythagoras here reminds his
disciples that the fiat of God is heard in the voice of the elements, and that
all things in Nature manifest through harmony, rhythm, order, or procedure
the attributes of the Deity.
IV. Assist a man in raising a burden; but do not assist him in laying it down.
The student is instructed to aid the diligent but never to assist those who
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seek to evade their responsibilities, for it is a great sin to encourage
indolence.
V. Speak not about Pythagoric concerns without light. The world is herein
warned that it should not attempt to interpret the mysteries of God and the
secrets of the sciences without spiritual and intellectual illumination.
VI. Having departed from your house, turn not back, for the furies will be
your attendants. Pythagoras here warns his followers that any who begin the
search for truth and, after having learned part of the mystery, become
discouraged and attempt to return again to their former ways of vice and
ignorance, will suffer exceedingly; for it is better to know nothing about
Divinity than to learn a little and then stop without learning all.
VII. Nourish a cock, but sacrifice it not; for it is sacred to the sun and moon.
Two great lessons are concealed in this aphorism. The first is a warning
against the sacrifice of living things to the gods, because life is sacred and
man should not destroy it even as an offering to the Deity. The second warns
man that the human body here referred to as a cock is sacred to the sun
(God) and the moon (Nature), and should be guarded and preserved as man's
most precious medium of expression. Pythagoras also warned his disciples
against suicide.
VIII. Receive not a swallow into your house. This warns the seeker after
truth not to allow drifting thoughts to come into his mind nor shiftless
persons to enter into his life. He must ever surround himself with rationally
inspired thinkers and with conscientious workers.
IX. Offer not your right hand easily to anyone. This warns the disciple to
keep his own counsel and not offer wisdom and knowledge (his right hand)
to such as are incapable of appreciating them. The hand here represents
Truth, which raises those who have fallen because of ignorance; but as many
of the unregenerate do not desire wisdom they will cut off the hand that is
extended in kindness to them. Time alone can effect the redemption of the
ignorant masses
X. When rising from the bedclothes, roll them together, and obliterate the
impression of the body. Pythagoras directed his disciples who had awakened
from the sleep of ignorance into the waking state of intelligence to eliminate
from their recollection all memory of their former spiritual darkness; for a
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wise man in passing leaves no form behind him which others less intelligent,
seeing, shall use as a mold for the casting of idols.
The most famous of the Pythagorean fragments are the Golden Verses,
ascribed to Pythagoras himself, but concerning whose authorship there is an
element of doubt. The Golden Verses contain a brief summary of the entire
system of philosophy forming the basis of the educational doctrines of
Crotona, or, as it is more commonly known, the Italic School. These verses
open by counseling the reader to love God, venerate the great heroes, and
respect the dmons and elemental inhabitants. They then urge man to think
carefully and industriously concerning his daily life, and to prefer the
treasures of the mind and soul to accumulations of earthly goods. The verses
also promise man that if he will rise above his lower material nature and
cultivate self-control, he will ultimately be acceptable in the sight of the
gods, be reunited with them, and partake of their immortality. (It is rather
significant to note that Plato paid a great price for some of the manuscripts
of Pythagoras which had been saved from the destruction of Crotona. See
Historia Deorum Fatidicorum, Geneva, 1675.)
PYTHAGOREAN ASTRONOMY
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that it was the moon. More probably it was the mysterious eighth sphere of
the ancients, the dark planet which moved in the same orbit as the earth but
which was always concealed from the earth by the body of the sun, being in
exact opposition to the earth at all times. Is this the mysterious Lilith
concerning which astrologers have speculated so long?
Isaac Myer has stated: "The Pythagoreans held that each star was a world
having its own atmosphere, with an immense extent surrounding it, of
aether." (See The Qabbalah.) The disciples of Pythagoras also highly
revered the planet Venus, because it was the only planet bright enough to
cast a shadow. As the morning star, Venus is visible before sunrise, and as
the evening star it shines forth immediately after sunset. Because of these
qualities, a number of names have been given to it by the ancients. Being
visible in the sky at sunset, it was called vesper, and as it arose before the
sun, it was called the false light, the star of the morning, or Lucifer, which
means the light-bearer. Because of this relation to the sun, the planet was
also referred to as Venus, Astarte, Aphrodite, Isis, and The Mother of the
Gods. It is possible that: at some seasons of the year in certain latitudes the
fact that Venus was a crescent could be detected without the aid of a
telescope. This would account for the crescent which is often seen in
connection with the goddesses of antiquity, the stories of which do not agree
with the phases of the moon. The accurate knowledge which Pythagoras
possessed concerning astronomy he undoubtedly secured in the Egyptian
temples, for their priests understood the true relationship of the heavenly
bodies many thousands of years before that knowledge was revealed to the
uninitiated world. The fact that the knowledge he acquired in the temples
enabled him to make assertions requiring two thousand years to check
proves why Plato and Aristotle so highly esteemed the profundity of the
ancient Mysteries. In the midst of comparative scientific ignorance, and
without the aid of any modern instruments, the priest-philosophers had
discovered the true fundamentals of universal dynamics.
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describe a tetrahedron; the sphere inclosing this will be Jupiter. Describe a
cube round Jupiter; the sphere containing this will be Saturn. Now inscribe
in the earth an icosahedron; the circle inscribed in it will be Venus. Inscribe
an octahedron in Venus; the circle inscribed in it will be Mercury'
(Mysterium Cosmographicum, 1596). This rule cannot be taken seriously as
a real statement of the proportions of the cosmos, fox it bears no real
resemblance to the ratios published by Copernicus in the beginning of the
sixteenth century. Yet Kepler was very proud of his formula, and said he
valued it more than the Electorate of Saxony. It was also approved by those
two eminent authorities, Tycho and Galileo, who evidently understood it.
Kepler himself never gives the least hint of how his precious rule is to be
interpreted." Platonic astronomy was not concerned with the material
constitution or arrangement of the heavenly bodies, but considered the stars
and planers primarily as focal points of Divine intelligence. Physical
astronomy was regarded as the science of "shadows," philosophical
astronomy the science of "realities."
THE TETRACTYS
Theon of Smyrna declares that the ten dots, or tetractys of Pythagoras, was a symbol of the greatest
importance, for to the discerning mind it revealed the mystery of universal nature. The Pythagoreans bound
themselves by the following oath: "By Him who gave to our soul the tetractys, which hath the fountain and
root of ever-springing nature."
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Pythagorean Mathematics
CONCERNING the secret significance of numbers there has been much
speculation. Though many interesting discoveries have been made, it may be
safely said that with the death of Pythagoras the great key to this science was
lost. For nearly 2500 years philosophers of all nations have attempted to
unravel the Pythagorean skein, but apparently none has been successful.
Notwithstanding attempts made to obliterate all records of the teachings of
Pythagoras, fragments have survived which give clues to some of the
simpler parts of his philosophy. The major secrets were never committed to
writing, but were communicated orally to a few chosen disciples. These
apparently dated not divulge their secrets to the profane, the result being that
when death sealed their lips the arcana died with diem.
Certain of the secret schools in the world today are perpetuations of the
ancient Mysteries, and although it is quite possible that they may possess
some of the original numerical formul, there is no evidence of it in the
voluminous writings which have issued from these groups during the last
five hundred years. These writings, while frequently discussing Pythagoras,
show no indication of a more complete knowledge of his intricate doctrines
than the post-Pythagorean Greek speculators had, who talked much, wrote
little, knew less, and concealed their ignorance under a series of mysterious
hints and promises. Here and there among the literary products of early
writers are found enigmatic statements which they made no effort: to
interpret. The following example is quoted from Plutarch:
"The Pythagoreans indeed go farther than this, and honour even numbers
and geometrical diagrams with the names and titles of the gods. Thus they
call the equilateral triangle head-born Minerva and Tritogenia, because it
may be equally divided by three perpendiculars drawn from each of the
angles. So the unit they term Apollo, as to the number two they have affixed
the name of strife and audaciousness, and to that of three, justice. For, as
doing an injury is an extreme on the one side, and suffering one is an
extreme on the on the one side, and suffering in the middle between them. In
like manner the number thirty-six, their Tetractys, or sacred Quaternion,
being composed of the first four odd numbers added to the first four even
ones, as is commonly reported, is looked upon by them as the most solemn
oath they can take, and called Kosmos." (Isis and Osiris.)
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Earlier in the same work, Plutarch also notes: "For as the power of the
triangle is expressive of the nature of Pluto, Bacchus, and Mars; and the
properties of the square of Rhea, Venus, Ceres, Vesta, and Juno; of the
Dodecahedron of Jupiter; so, as we are informed by Eudoxus, is the figure of
fifty-six angles expressive of the nature of Typhon." Plutarch did not pretend
to explain the inner significance of the symbols, but believed that the
relationship which Pythagoras established between the geometrical solids
and the gods was the result of images the great sage had seen in the Egyptian
temples.
Albert Pike, the great Masonic symbolist, admitted that there were many
points concerning which he could secure no reliable information. In his
Symbolism, for the 32 and 33, he wrote: "I do not understand why the 7
should be called Minerva, or the cube, Neptune." Further on he added:
"Undoubtedly the names given by the Pythagoreans to the different numbers
were themselves enigmatical and symbolic-and there is little doubt that in
the time of Plutarch the meanings these names concealed were lost.
Pythagoras had succeeded too well in concealing his symbols with a veil that
was from the first impenetrable, without his oral explanation * * *."
The first step in obtaining the numerical value of a word is to resolve it back
into its original tongue. Only words of Greek or Hebrew derivation can be
successfully analyzed by this method, and all words must be spelled in their
most ancient and complete forms. Old Testament words and names,
therefore, must be translated back into the early Hebrew characters and New
Testament words into the Greek. Two examples will help to clarify this
principle.
The Demiurgus of the Jews is called in English Jehovah, but when seeking
the numerical value of the name Jehovah it is necessary to resolve the name
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into its Hebrew letters. It becomes , and is read from right to left. The
Hebrew letters are: , He; , Vau; , He; , Yod; and when reversed into the
English order from left to right read: Yod-He-Vau-He. By consulting the
foregoing table of letter values, it is found that the four characters of this
sacred name have the following numerical significance: Yod equals 10. He
equals 5, Vau equals 6, and the second He equals 5. Therefore,
10+5+6+5=26, a synonym of Jehovah. If the English letters were used, the
answer obviously would not be correct.
The second example is the mysterious Gnostic pantheos Abraxas. For this
name the Greek table is used. Abraxas in Greek is . = 1, = 2,
= 100, = 1, =60, = 1, = 200, the sum being 365, the number of days in
the year. This number furnishes the key to the mystery of Abraxas, who is
symbolic of the 365 ons, or Spirits of the Days, gathered together in one
composite personality. Abraxas is symbolic of five creatures, and as the
circle of the year actually consists of 360 degrees, each of the emanating
deities is one-fifth of this power, or 72, one of the most sacred numbers in
the Old Testament of the Jews and in their Qabbalistic system. This same
method is used in finding the numerical value of the names of the gods and
goddesses of the Greeks and Jews.
All higher numbers can be reduced to one of the original ten numerals, and
the 10 itself to 1. Therefore, all groups of numbers resulting from the
translation of names of deities into their numerical equivalents have a basis
in one of the first ten numbers. By this system, in which the digits are added
together, 666 becomes 6+6+6 or 18, and this, in turn, becomes 1+8 or 9.
According to Revelation, 144,000 are to be saved. This number becomes
1+4+4+0+0+0, which equals 9, thus proving that both the Beast of Babylon
and the number of the saved refer to man himself, whose symbol is the
number 9. This system can be used successfully with both Greek and
Hebrew letter values.
There is also a system of calculation in vogue for the English language, but
its accuracy is a matter of legitimate dispute. It is comparatively modern and
has no relationship either to the Hebrew Qabbalistic system or to the Greek
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procedure. The claim made by some that it is Pythagorean is not supported
by any tangible evidence, and there are many reasons why such a contention
is untenable. The fact that Pythagoras used 10 as the basis of calculation,
while this system uses 9--an imperfect number--is in itself almost
conclusive. Furthermore, the arrangement of the Greek and Hebrew letters
does not agree closely enough with the English to permit the application of
the number sequences of one language to the number sequences of the
others. Further experimentation with
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Column
1 Names of the Hebrew letters.
2 Samaritan Letters.
3 Hebrew and Chaldean letters.
4 Numerical equivalents of the letters.
5 Capital and small Greek letters.
The letters marked with asterisks are those brought to Greece from Phnicia
6
by Cadmus.
7 Name of the Greek letters.
8 Nearest English equivalents to the Hebrew, Greek, and Samaritan Letters.
NOTE. When used at the end of a word, the Hebrew Tau has the numerical value 440, Caph 500, Mem 600,
Nun 700, Pe 800, Tzadi 900. A dotted Alpha and a dashed Aleph have the value of 1,000.
the system may prove profitable, but it is without basis in antiquity. The
arrangement of the letters and numbers is as follows:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A B C D E F G H I
J K L M N O P Q R
S T U V W X Y Z
The letters under each of the numbers have the value of the figure at: the top
of the column. Thus, in the word man, M = 4, A = 1, N = 5: a total of 10. The
values of the numbers are practically the same as those given by the
Pythagorean system.
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The Pythagoreans declared arithmetic to be the mother of the mathematical
sciences. This is proved by the fact that geometry, music, and astronomy are
dependent upon it but it is not dependent upon them. Thus, geometry may be
removed but arithmetic will remain; but if arithmetic be removed, geometry
is eliminated. In the same manner music depends upon arithmetic, but the
elimination of music affects arithmetic only by limiting one of its
expressions. The Pythagoreans also demonstrated arithmetic to be prior to
astronomy, for the latter is dependent upon both geometry and music. The
size, form, and motion of the celestial bodies is determined by the use of
geometry; their harmony and rhythm by the use of music. If astronomy be
removed, neither geometry nor music is injured; but if geometry and music
be eliminated, astronomy is destroyed. The priority of both geometry and
music to astronomy is therefore established. Arithmetic, however, is prior to
all; it is primary and fundamental.
The monad signifies (a) the all-including ONE. The Pythagoreans called the
monad the "noble number, Sire of Gods and men." The monad also signifies
(b) the sum of any combination of numbers considered as a whole. Thus, the
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universe is considered as a monad, but the individual parts of the universe
(such as the planets and elements) are monads in relation to the parts of
which they themselves are composed, though they, in turn, are parts of the
greater monad formed of their sum. The monad may also be likened (c) to
the seed of a tree which, when it has grown, has many branches (the
numbers). In other words, the numbers are to the monad what the branches
of the tree are to the seed of the tree. From the study of the mysterious
Pythagorean monad, Leibnitz evolved his magnificent theory of the world
atoms--a theory in perfect accord with the ancient teachings of the
Mysteries, for Leibnitz himself was an initiate of a secret school. By some
Pythagoreans the monad is also considered (d) synonymous with the one.
Number is the term applied to all numerals and their combinations. (A strict
interpretation of the term number by certain of the Pythagoreans excludes 1
and 2.) Pythagoras defines number to be the extension and energy of the
spermatic reasons contained in the monad. The followers of Hippasus
declared number to be the first pattern used by the Demiurgus in the
formation of the universe.
The one was defined by the Platonists as "the summit of the many." The one
differs from the monad in that the term monad is used to designate the sum
of the parts considered as a unit, whereas the one is the term applied to each
of its integral parts.
There are two orders of number: odd and even. Because unity, or 1, always
remains indivisible, the odd number cannot be divided equally. Thus, 9 is
4+1+4, the unity in the center being indivisible. Furthermore, if any odd
number be divided into two parts, one part will always be odd and the other
even. Thus, 9 may be 5+4, 3+6, 7+2, or 8+1. The Pythagoreans considered
the odd number--of which the monad was the prototype--to be definite and
masculine. They were not all agreed, however, as to the nature of unity, or 1.
Some declared it to be positive, because if added to an even (negative)
number, it produces an odd (positive) number. Others demonstrated that if
unity be added to an odd number, the latter becomes even, thereby making
the masculine to be feminine. Unity, or 1, therefore, was considered an
androgynous number, partaking of both the masculine and the feminine
attributes; consequently both odd and even. For this reason the Pythagoreans
called it evenly-odd. It was customary for the Pythagoreans to offer
sacrifices of an uneven number of objects to the superior gods, while to the
goddesses and subterranean spirits an even number was offered.
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Any even number may be divided into two equal parts, which are always
either both odd or both even. Thus, 10 by equal division gives 5+5, both odd
numbers. The same principle holds true if the 10 be unequally divided. For
example, in 6+4, both parts are even; in 7+3, both parts are odd; in 8+2, both
parts are again even; and in 9+1, both parts are again odd. Thus, in the even
number, however it may be divided, the parts will always be both odd or
both even. The Pythagoreans considered the even number-of which the duad
was the prototype--to be indefinite and feminine.
The incomposite numbers are those which have no divisor other than
themselves and unity, such as 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43,
47, and so forth. For example, 7 is divisible only by 7, which goes into itself
once, and unity, which goes into 7 seven times.
The composite numbers are those which are divisible not only by themselves
and unity but also by some other number, such as 9, 15, 21, 25, 27, 33, 39,
45, 51, 57, and so forth. For example, 21 is divisible not only by itself and
by unity, but also by 3 and by 7.
Even numbers are divided into three classes: evenly-even, evenly-odd, and
oddly-odd.
The evenly-even numbers are all in duple ratio from unity; thus: 1, 2, 4, 8,
16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, and 1,024. The proof of the perfect evenly-even
number is that it can be halved and the halves again halved back to unity, as
1/2 of 64 = 32; 1/2 of 32 = 16; 1/2 of 16 = 8; 1/2 of 8 = 4; 1/2 of 4 = 2; 1/2
of 2 = 1; beyond unity it is impossible to go.
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The evenly-even numbers possess certain unique properties. The sum of any
number of terms but the last term is always equal to the last term minus one.
For example: the sum of the first and second terms (1+2) equals the third
term (4) minus one; or, the sum of the first, second, third, and fourth terms
(1+2+4+8) equals the fifth term (16) minus one.
In a series of evenly-even numbers, the first multiplied by the last equals the
last, the second multiplied by the second from the last equals the last, and so
on until in an odd series one number remains, which multiplied by itself
equals the last number of the series; or, in an even series two numbers
remain, which multiplied by each other give the last number of the series.
For example: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 is an odd series. The first number (1) multiplied
by the last number (16) equals the last number (16). The second number (2)
multiplied by the second from the last number (8) equals the last number
(16). Being an odd series, the 4 is left in the center, and this multiplied by
itself also equals the last number (16).
The evenly-odd numbers are those which, when halved, are incapable of
further division by halving. They are formed by taking the odd numbers in
sequential order and multiplying them by 2. By this process the odd numbers
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 produce the evenly-odd numbers, 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22. Thus,
every fourth number is evenly-odd. Each of the even-odd numbers may be
divided once, as 2, which becomes two 1's and cannot be divided further; or
6, which becomes two 3's and cannot be divided further.
The evenly-odd numbers are also remarkable in that each term is one-half of
the sum of the terms on either side of it. For example:
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__________________________
10 is one-half of the sum of 6 and 14; 18 is one-half the sum of 14 and 22;
and 6 is one-half the sum of 2 and 10.
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of more than one division by halving. The oddly-odd numbers are formed by
multiplying the evenly-even numbers above 2 by the odd numbers above
one. The odd numbers above one are 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and so forth. The evenly-
even numbers above 2 are 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and soon. The first odd number of
the series (3) multiplied by 4 (the first evenly-even number of the series)
gives 12, the first oddly-odd number. By multiplying 5, 7, 9, 11, and so
forth, by 4, oddly-odd numbers are found. The other oddly-odd numbers are
produced by multiplying 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and so forth, in turn, by the other
evenly-even numbers (8, 16, 32, 64, and so forth). An example of the
halving of the oddly-odd number is as follows: 1/2 of 12 = 6; 1/2 of 6 = 3,
which cannot be halved further because the Pythagoreans did not divide
unity.
Even numbers are also divided into three other classes: superperfect,
deficient, and perfect.
Deficient numbers are such as have the sum of their fractional parts less than
themselves. For example: 1/2 of 14 = 7; 1/7 = 2; and 1/14 = 1. The sum of
these parts (7+2+1) is 10, which is less than 14, the original number.
Perfect numbers are such as have the sum of their fractional parts equal to
themselves. For example: 1/2 of 28 = 14; 1/4 = 7; 1/7 = 4; 1/14 = 2; and 1/28
= 1. The sum of these parts (14+7+4+2+1) is equal to 28.
The perfect numbers are extremely rare. There is only one between 1 and 10,
namely, 6; one between 10 and 100, namely, 28; one between 100 and
1,000, namely, 496; and one between 1,000 and 10,000, namely, 8,128. The
perfect numbers are found by the following rule: The first number of the
evenly-even series of numbers (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and so forth) is added to
the second number of the series, and if an incomposite number results it is
multiplied by the last number of the series of evenly-even numbers whose
sum produced it. The product is the first perfect number. For example: the
first and second evenly-even numbers are 1 and 2. Their sum is 3, an
incomposite number. If 3 be multiplied by 2, the last number of the series of
evenly-even numbers used to produce it, the product is 6, the first perfect
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number. If the addition of the evenly-even numbers does not result in an
incomposite number, the next evenly-even number of the series must be
added until an incomposite number results. The second perfect number is
found in the following manner: The sum of the evenly-even numbers 1, 2,
and 4 is 7, an incomposite number. If 7 be multiplied by 4 (the last of the
series of evenly-even numbers used to produce it) the product is 28, the
second perfect number. This method of calculation may be continued to
infinity.
"Perfect numbers, therefore, are beautiful images of the virtues which are
certain media between excess and defect, and are not summits, as by some of
the ancients they were supposed to be. And evil indeed is opposed to evil,
but both are opposed to one good. Good, however, is never opposed to good,
but to two evils at one and the same time. Thus timidity is opposed to
audacity, to both [of] which the want of true courage is common; but both
timidity and audacity are opposed to fortitude. Craft also is opposed to
fatuity, to both [of] which the want of intellect is common; and both these
are opposed to prudence. Thus, too, profusion is opposed to avarice, to both
[of] which illiberality is common; and both these are opposed to liberality.
And in a similar manner in the other virtues; by all [of] which it is evident
that perfect numbers have a great similitude to the virtues. But they also
resemble the virtues on another account; for they are rarely found, as being
few, and they are generated in a very constant order. On the contrary, an
infinite multitude of superabundant and diminished numbers may be found,
nor are they disposed in any orderly series, nor generated from any certain
end; and hence they have a great similitude to the vices, which are
numerous, inordinate, and indefinite."
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Monad--1--is so called because it remains always in the same condition--that is, separate from multitude.
Its attributes are as follows: It is called mind, because the mind is stable and has preeminence;
hermaphrodism, because it is both male and female; odd and even, for being added to the even it makes
odd, and to the odd, even; God, because it is the beginning and end of all, but itself has neither beginning
nor end; good, for such is the nature of God; the receptacle of matter, because it produces the duad, which
is essentially material.
By the Pythagoreans monad was called chaos, obscurity, chasm, Tartarus, Styx, abyss, Lethe, Atlas, Axis,
Morpho (a name for Venus), and Tower or Throne of Jupiter, because of the great power which abides in
the center of the universe and controls the circular motion of the planers about itself. Monad is also called
germinal reason, because it is the origin of all the thoughts in the universe. Other names given to it were:
Apollo, because of its relation to the sun; Prometheus, because he brought man light; Pyralios, one who
exists in fire; geniture, because without it no number can exist; substance, because substance is primary;
cause of truth; and constitution of symphony: all these because it is the primordial one.
Between greater and lesser the monad is equal; between intention and remission it is middle; in multitude it
is mean; and in time it is now, because
eternity knows neither past nor future. It is called Jupiter, because he is Father and head of the gods;
Vesta, the fire of the home, because it is located in the midst of the universe and remains there inclining to
no side as a dot in a circle; form, because it circumscribes, comprehends, and terminates; love, concord,
and piety, because it is indivisible. Other symbolic names for the monad are ship, chariot, Proteus (a god
capable of changing his form), Mnemosyne, and Polyonymous (having many names).
The following symbolic names were given to the duad--2--because it has been divided, and is two rather
than one; and when there are two, each is opposed to the other: genius, evil, darkness, inequality,
instability, movability, boldness, fortitude, contention, matter, dissimilarity, partition between multitude
and monad, defect, shapelessness, indefiniteness, indeterminate ness, harmony, tolerance, root, feet of
fountain-abounding idea, top, Phanes, opinion, fallacy, alterity, diffidence, impulse, death, motion,
generation, mutation, division, longitude, augmentation, composition, communion, misfortune,
sustentation, imposition, marriage, soul, and science.
In his book, Numbers, W. Wynn Westcott says of the duad: "it was called 'Audacity,' from its being the
earliest number to separate itself from the Divine One; from the 'Adytum of God-nourished Silence,' as the
Chaldean oracles say."
As the monad is the father, so the duad is the mother; therefore, the duad has certain points in common
with the goddesses Isis, Rhea (Jove's mother), Phrygia, Lydia, Dindymene (Cybele), and Ceres; Erato (one
of the Muses); Diana, because the moon is forked; Dictynna, Venus, Dione, Cytherea; Juno, because she is
both wife and sister of Jupiter; and Maia, the mother of Mercury.
While the monad is the symbol of wisdom, the duad is the symbol of ignorance, for in it exists the sense of
separateness--which sense is the beginning of ignorance. The duad, however, is also the mother of wisdom,
for ignorance--out of the nature of itself--invariably gives birth to wisdom.
The Pythagoreans revered the monad but despised the duad, because it was the symbol of polarity. By the
power of the duad the deep was created in contradistinction to the heavens. The deep mirrored the heavens
and became the symbol of illusion, for the below was merely a reflection of the above. The below was
called maya, the illusion, the sea, the Great Void, and to symbolize it the Magi of Persia carried mirrors.
From the duad arose disputes and contentions, until by bringing the monad between the duad, equilibrium
was reestablished by the Savior-God, who took upon Himself the form of a number and was crucified
between two thieves for the sins of men.
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The triad--3--is the first number actually odd (monad not always being considered a number). It is the first
equilibrium of unities; therefore, Pythagoras said that Apollo gave oracles from a tripod, and advised offer
of libation three times. The keywords to the qualities of the triad are friendship, peace, justice, prudence,
piety, temperance, and virtue. The following deities partake of the principles of the triad: Saturn (ruler of
time), Latona, Cornucopi, Ophion (the great serpent), Thetis, Hecate, Polyhymnia (a Muse), Pluto,
Triton, President of the Sea, Tritogenia, Achelous, and the Faces, Furies, and Graces. This number is
called wisdom, because men organize the present, foresee the future, and benefit by the experiences of the
fast. It is cause of wisdom and understanding. The triad is the number of knowledge--music, geometry, and
astronomy, and the science of the celestials and terrestrials. Pythagoras taught that the cube of this number
had the power of the lunar circle.
The sacredness of the triad and its symbol--the triangle--is derived from the fact that it is made up of the
monad and the duad. The monad is the symbol of the Divine Father and the duad of the Great Mother. The
triad being made of these two is therefore androgynous and is symbolic of the fact that God gave birth to
His worlds out of Himself, who in His creative aspect is always symbolized by the triangle. The monad
passing into the duad was thus capable of becoming the parent of progeny, for the duad was the womb of
Meru, within which the world was incubated and within which it still exists in embryo.
The tetrad--4--was esteemed by the Pythagoreans as the primogenial number, the root of all things, the
fountain of Nature and the most perfect number. All tetrads are intellectual; they have an emergent order
and encircle the world as the Empyreum passes through it. Why the Pythagoreans expressed God as a
tetrad is explained in a sacred discourse ascribed to Pythagoras, wherein God is called the Number of
Numbers. This is because the decad, or 10, is composed of 1, 2, 3, and 4. The number 4 is symbolic of God
because it is symbolic of the first four numbers. Moreover, the tetrad is the center of the week, being
halfway between 1 and 7. The tetrad is also the first geometric solid.
Pythagoras maintained that the soul of man consists of a tetrad, the four powers of the soul being mind,
science, opinion, and sense. The tetrad connects all beings, elements, numbers, and seasons; nor can
anything be named which does not depend upon the tetractys. It is the Cause and Maker of all things, the
intelligible God, Author of celestial and sensible good, Plutarch interprets this tetractys, which he said was
also called the world, to be 36, consisting of the first four odd numbers added to the first four even
numbers, thus:
1 + 3 +5 +7 = 16
2+4+6+8 = 20
36
Keywords given to the tetrad are impetuosity, strength, virility, two-mothered, and the key keeper of
Nature, because the universal constitution cannot be without it. It is also called harmony and the first
profundity. The following deities partook of the nature of the tetrad: Hercules, Mercury, Vulcan, Bacchus,
and Urania (one of the Muses).
The triad represents the primary colors and the major planets, while the tetrad represents the secondary
colors and the minor planets. From the first triangle come forth the seven spirits, symbolized by a triangle
and a square. These together form the Masonic apron.
The pentad--5--is the union of an odd and an even number (3 and 2). Among the Greeks, the pentagram
was a sacred symbol of light, health, and vitality. It also symbolized the fifth element--ether--because it is
free from the disturbances of the four lower elements. It is called equilibrium, because it divides the perfect
number 10 into two equal parts.
The pentad is symbolic of Nature, for, when multiplied by itself it returns into itself, just as grains of wheat,
starting in the form of seed, pass through Nature's processes and reproduce the seed of the wheat as the
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ultimate form of their own growth. Other numbers multiplied by themselves produce other numbers, but
only 5 and 6 multiplied by themselves represent and retain their original number as the last figure in their
products.
The pentad represents all the superior and inferior beings. It is sometimes referred to as the hierophant, or
the priest of the Mysteries, because of its connection with the spiritual ethers, by means of which mystic
development is attained. Keywords of the pentad are reconciliation, alternation, marriage, immortality,
cordiality, Providence, and sound. Among the deities who partook of the nature of the pentad were Pallas,
Nemesis, Bubastia (Bast), Venus, Androgynia, Cytherea, and the messengers of Jupiter.
The tetrad (the elements) plus the monad equals the pentad. The Pythagoreans taught that the elements of
earth, fire, air, and water were permeated by a substance called ether--the basis of vitality and life.
Therefore, they chose the five-pointed star, or pentagram, as the symbol of vitality, health, and
interpenetration.
It was customary for the philosophers to conceal the element of earth under the symbol of a dragon, and
many of the heroes of antiquity were told to go forth and slay the dragon. Hence, they drove their sword
(the monad) into the body of the dragon (the tetrad). This resulted in the formation of the pentad, a symbol
of the victory of the spiritual nature over the material nature. The four elements are symbolized in the early
Biblical writings as the four rivers that poured out of Garden of Eden. The elements themselves are under
the control of the composite Cherubim of Ezekiel.
The Pythagoreans held the hexad--6--to represent, as Clement of Alexandria conceived, the creation of the
world according to both the prophets and the ancient Mysteries. It was called by the Pythagoreans the
perfection of all the parts. This number was particularly sacred to Orpheus, and also to the Fate, Lachesis,
and the Muse, Thalia. It was called the form of forms, the articulation of the universe, and the maker of the
soul.
Among the Greeks, harmony and the soul were considered to be similar in nature, because all souls are
harmonic. The hexad is also the symbol of marriage, because it is formed by the union of two triangles, one
masculine and the other feminine. Among the keywords given to the hexad are: time, for it is the measure of
duration; panacea, because health is equilibrium, and the hexad is a balance number; the world, because
the world, like the hexad, is often seen to consist of contraries by harmony; omnisufficient, because its
parts are sufficient for totality (3 +2 + 1 = 6); unwearied, because it contains the elements of immortality.
By the Pythagoreans the heptad--7--was called "worthy of veneration." It was held to be the number of
religion, because man is controlled by seven celestial spirits to whom it is proper for him to make offerings.
It was called the number of life, because it was believed that human creatures born in the seventh month of
embryonic life usually lived, but those born in the eighth month often died. One author called it the
Motherless Virgin, Minerva, because it was nor born of a mother but out of the crown, or the head of the
Father, the monad. Keywords of the heptad are fortune, occasion, custody, control, government, judgment,
dreams, voices, sounds, and that which leads all things to their end. Deities whose attributes were
expressed by the heptad were gis, Osiris, Mars, and Cleo (one of the Muses).
Among many ancient nations the heptad is a sacred number. The Elohim of the Jews were supposedly seven
in number. They were the Spirits of the Dawn, more commonly known as the Archangels controlling the
planets. The seven Archangels, with the three spirits controlling the sun in its threefold aspect, constitute
the 10, the sacred Pythagorean decad. The mysterious Pythagorean tetractys, or four rows of dots,
increasing from 1 to 4, was symbolic of the stages of creation. The great Pythagorean truth that all things
in Nature are regenerated through the decad, or 10, is subtly preserved in Freemasonry through these
grips being effected by the uniting of 10 fingers, five on the hand of each person.
The 3 (spirit, mind, and soul) descend into the 4 (the world), the sum being the 7, or the mystic nature of
man, consisting of a threefold spiritual body and a fourfold material form. These are symbolized by the
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cube, which has six surfaces and a mysterious seventh point within. The six surfaces are the directions:
north, east, south, west, up, and down; or, front, back, right, left, above, and below; or again, earth, fire,
air, water, spirit, and matter. In the midst of these stands the 1, which is the upright figure of man, from
whose center in the cube radiate six pyramids. From this comes the great occult axiom: "The center is the
father of the directions, the dimensions, and the distances."
The heptad is the number of the law, because it is the number of the Makers of Cosmic law, the Seven
Spirits before the Throne.
The ogdoad--8--was sacred because it was the number of the first cube, which form had eight corners, and
was the only evenly-even number under 10 (1-2-4-8-4-2-1). Thus, the 8 is divided into two 4's, each 4 is
divided into two 2's, and each 2 is divided into two 1's, thereby reestablishing the monad. Among the
keywords of the ogdoad are love, counsel, prudence, law, and convenience. Among the divinities partaking
of its nature were Panarmonia, Rhea, Cibele, Cadma, Dindymene, Orcia, Neptune, Themis, and Euterpe
(a Muse).
The ogdoad was a mysterious number associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries of Greece and the Cabiri. It
was called the little holy number. It derived its form partly from the twisted snakes on the Caduceus of
Hermes and partly from the serpentine motion of the celestial bodies; possibly also from the moon's nodes.
The ennead--9--was the first square of an odd number (3x3). It was associated with failure and
shortcoming because it fell short of the perfect number 10 by one. It was called the called the number of
man, because of the nine months of his embryonic life. Among its keywords are ocean and horizon, because
to the ancients these were boundless. The ennead is the limitless number because there is nothing beyond it
but the infinite 10. It was called boundary and limitation, because it gathered all numbers within itself. It
was called the sphere of the air, because it surrounded the numbers as air surrounds the earth, Among the
gods and goddesses who partook in greater or less degree of its nature were Prometheus, Vulcan, Juno, the
sister and wife of Jupiter, Pan, and Aglaia, Tritogenia, Curetes, Proserpine, Hyperion, and Terpsichore
(a Muse).
The 9 was looked upon as evil, because it was an inverted 6. According to the Eleusinian Mysteries, it was
the number of the spheres through which the consciousness passed on its way to birth. Because of its close
resemblance to the spermatozoon, the 9 has been associated with germinal life.
The decad--10--according to the Pythagoreans, is the greatest of numbers, not only because it is the
tetractys (the 10 dots) but because it comprehends all arithmetic and harmonic proportions. Pythagoras
said that 10 is the nature of number, because all nations reckon to it and when they arrive at it they return
to the monad. The decad was called both heaven and the world, because the former includes the latter.
Being a perfect number, the decad was applied by the Pythagoreans to those things relating to age, power,
faith, necessity, and the power of memory. It was also called unwearied, because, like God, it was tireless.
The Pythagoreans divided the heavenly bodies into ten orders. They also stated that the decad perfected all
numbers and comprehended within itself the nature of odd and even, moved and unmoved, good and ill.
They associated its power with the following deities: Atlas (for it carried the numbers on its shoulders),
Urania, Mnemosyne, the Sun, Phanes, and the One God.
The decimal system can probably be traced back to the time when it was customary to reckon on the
fingers, these being among the most primitive of calculating devices and still in use among many aboriginal
peoples.
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In Isis Unveiled, H. P. Blavatsky summarizes the pagan concept of man as
follows: "Man is a little world--a microcosm inside the great universe. Like
a fetus, he is suspended, by all his three spirits, in the matrix of the
macrocosmos; and while his terrestrial body is in constant sympathy with its
parent earth, his astral soul lives in unison with the sidereal anima mundi. He
is in it, as it is in him, for the world-pervading element fills all space, and is
space itself, only shoreless and infinite. As to his third spirit, the divine,
what is it but an infinitesimal ray, one of the countless radiations proceeding
directly from the Highest Cause--the Spiritual Light of the World? This is
the trinity of organic and inorganic nature--the spiritual and the physical,
which are three in one, and of which Proclus says that 'The first monad is the
Eternal God; the second, eternity; the third, the paradigm, or pattern of the
universe;' the three constituting the Intelligible Triad."
Long before the introduction of idolatry into religion, the early priests
caused the statue of a man to be placed in the sanctuary of the temple. This
human figure symbolized the Divine Power in all its intricate manifestations.
Thus the priests of antiquity accepted man as their textbook, and through the
study of him learned to understand the greater and more abstruse mysteries
of the celestial scheme of which they were a part. It is not improbable that
this mysterious figure standing over the primitive altars was made in the
nature of a manikin and, like certain emblematic hands in the Mystery
schools, was covered with either carved or painted hieroglyphs. The statue
may have opened, thus showing the relative positions of the organs, bones,
muscles, nerves, and other parts. After ages of research, the manikin became
a mass of intricate hieroglyphs and symbolic figures. Every part had its
secret meaning. The measurements formed a basic standard by means of
which it was possible to measure all parts of cosmos. It was a glorious
composite emblem of all the knowledge possessed by the sages and
hierophants.
Then came the age of idolatry. The Mysteries decayed from within. The
secrets were lost and none knew the identity of the mysterious man who
stood over the altar. It was remembered only that the figure was a sacred and
glorious symbol of the Universal Power, and it: finally came to be looked
upon as a god--the One in whose image man was made. Having lost the
knowledge of the purpose for which the manikin was originally constructed,
the priests worshiped this effigy until at last their lack of spiritual
understanding brought the temple down in ruins about their heads and the
statue crumbled with the civilization that had forgotten its meaning.
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Proceeding from this assumption of the first theologians that man is actually
fashioned in the image of God, the initiated minds of past ages erected the
stupendous structure of theology upon the foundation of the human body.
The religious world of today is almost totally ignorant of the fact that the
science of biology is the fountainhead of its doctrines and tenets. Many of
the codes and laws believed by modern divines to have been direct
revelations from Divinity are in reality the fruitage of ages of patient delving
into the intricacies of the human constitution and the infinite wonders
revealed by such a study.
In nearly all the sacred books of the world can be traced an anatomical
analogy. This is most evident in their creation myths. Anyone familiar with
embryology and obstetrics will have no difficulty in recognizing the basis of
the allegory concerning Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, the nine
degrees of the Eleusinian Mysteries, and the Brahmanic legend of Vishnu's
incarnations. The story of the Universal Egg, the Scandinavian myth of
Ginnungagap (the dark cleft in space in which the seed of the world is
sown), and the use of the fish as the emblem of the paternal generative
power--all show the true origin of theological speculation. The philosophers
of antiquity realized that man himself was the key to the riddle of life, for he
was the living image of the Divine Plan, and in future ages humanity also
will come to realize more fully the solemn import of those ancient words:
"The proper study of mankind is man."
Both God and man have a twofold constitution, of which the superior part is
invisible and the inferior visible. In both there is also an intermediary sphere,
marking the point where these visible and invisible natures meet. As the
spiritual nature of God controls His objective universal form-which is
actually a crystallized idea--so the spiritual nature of man is the invisible
cause and controlling power of his visible material personality. Thus it is
evident that the spirit of man bears the same relationship to his material body
that God bears to the objective universe. The Mysteries taught that spirit, or
life, was anterior to form and that what is anterior includes all that is
posterior to itself. Spirit being anterior to form, form is therefore included
within the realm of spirit. It is also a popular statement or belief that man's
spirit is within his body. According to the conclusions of philosophy and
theology, however, this belief is erroneous, for spirit first circumscribes an
area and then manifests within it. Philosophically speaking, form, being a
part of spirit, is within spirit; but: spirit is more than the sum of form, As the
material nature of man is therefore within the sum of spirit, so the Universal
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Nature, including the entire sidereal system, is within the all-pervading
essence of God--the Universal Spirit.
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above as indicating degree of proximity to source and below as indicating
degree of distance from source, source being posited in the actual center and
relative distance being the various points along the radii from the center
toward the circumference. In matters pertaining to philosophy and theology,
up may be considered as toward the center and down as toward the
circumference. Center is spirit; circumference is matter. Therefore, up is
toward spirit along an ascending scale of spirituality; down is toward matter
along an ascending scale of materiality. The latter concept is partly
expressed by the apex of a cone which, when viewed from above, is seen as
a point in the exact center of the circumference formed by the base of the
cone.
These three universal centers--the one above, the one below, and the link
uniting them-represent three suns or three aspects of one sun--centers of
effulgence. These also have their analogues in the three grand centers of the
human body, which, like the physical universe, is a Demiurgic fabrication.
"The first of these [suns]," says Thomas Taylor, "is analogous to light when
viewed subsisting in its fountain the sun; the second to the light immediately
proceeding from the sun; and the third to the splendour communicated to
other natures by this light."
Since the superior (or spiritual) center is in the midst of the other two, its
analogue in the physical body is the heart--the most spiritual and mysterious
organ in the human body. The second center (or the link between the
superior and inferior worlds) is elevated to the position of greatest physical
dignity--the brain. The third (or lower) center is relegated to the position of
least physical dignity but greatest physical importance--the generative
system. Thus the heart is symbolically the source of life; the brain the link
by which, through rational intelligence, life and form are united; and the
generative system--or infernal creator--the source of that power by which
physical organisms are produced. The ideals and aspirations of the
individual depend largely upon which of these three centers of power
predominates in scope and activity of expression. In the materialist the lower
center is the strongest, in the intellectualist the higher center; but in the
initiate the middle center--by bathing the two extremes in a flood of spiritual
effulgence--controls wholesomely both the mind and the body.
As light bears witness of life-which is its source-so the mind bears witness
of the spirit, and activity in a still lower plane bears witness of intelligence.
Thus the mind bears witness of the heart, while the generative system, in
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turn, bears witness of the mind. Accordingly, the spiritual nature is most
commonly symbolized by a heart; the intellectual power by an opened eye,
symbolizing the pineal gland or Cyclopean eye, which is the two-faced
Janus of the pagan Mysteries; and the generative system by a flower, a staff,
a cup, or a hand.
While all the Mysteries recognized the heart as the center of spiritual
consciousness, they often purposely ignored this concept and used the heart
in its exoteric sense as the symbol of the emotional nature, In this
arrangement the generative center represented the physical body, the heart
the emotional body, and the brain the mental body. The brain represented the
superior sphere, but after the initiates had passed through the lower degrees
they were instructed that the brain was the proxy of the spiritual flame
dwelling in the innermost recesses of the heart. The student of esotericism
discovers ere long that the ancients often resorted to various blinds to
conceal the true interpretations of their Mysteries. The substitution of the
brain for the heart was one of these blinds.
The three degrees of the ancient Mysteries were, with few exceptions, given
in chambers which represented the three great centers of the human and
Universal bodies. If possible, the temple itself was constructed in the form of
the human body. The candidate entered between the feet and received the
highest degree in the point corresponding to the brain. Thus the first degree
was the material mystery and its symbol was the generative system; it raised
the candidate through the various degrees of concrete thought. The second
degree was given in the chamber corresponding to the heart, but represented
the middle power which was the mental link. Here the candidate was
initiated into the mysteries of abstract thought and lifted as high as the mind
was capable of penetrating. He then passed into the third chamber, which,
analogous to the brain, occupied the highest position in the temple but,
analogous to the heart, was of the greatest dignity. In the brain chamber the
heart mystery was given. Here the initiate for the first time truly
comprehended the meaning of those immortal words: "As a man thinketh in
his heart, so is he." As there are seven hearts in the brain so there are seven
brains in the heart, but this is a matter of superphysics of which little can be
said at the present time.
Proclus writes on this subject in the first book of On the Theology of Plato:
"Indeed, Socrates in the (First) Alcibiades rightly observes, that the soul
entering into herself will behold all other things, and deity itself. For verging
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to her own union, and to the centre of all life, laying aside multitude, and the
variety of the all manifold powers which she contains, she ascends to the
highest watch-tower offerings. And as in the most holy of the mysteries,
they say, that the mystics at first meet with the multi form, and many-shaped
genera, which are hurled forth before the gods, but on entering the temple,
unmoved, and guarded by the mystic rites, they genuinely receive in their
bosom [heart] divine illumination, and divested of their garments, as they
would say, participate of a divine nature; the same mode, as it appears to me,
takes place in the speculation of wholes. For the soul when looking at things
posterior to herself, beholds the shadows and images of beings, but when she
converts herself to herself she evolves her own essence, and the reasons
which she contains. And at first indeed, she only as it were beholds herself;
but, when she penetrates more profoundly into the knowledge of herself, she
finds in herself both intellect, and the orders of beings. When however, she
proceeds into her interior recesses, and into the adytum as it were of the
soul, she perceives with her eye closed [without the aid of the lower mind],
the genus of the gods, and the unities of beings. For all things are in us
psychically, and through this we are naturally capable of knowing all things,
by exciting the powers and the images of wholes which we contain."
The initiates of old warned their disciples that an image is not a reality but
merely the objectification of a subjective idea. The image, of the gods were
nor designed to be objects of worship but were to be regarded merely as
emblems or reminders of invisible powers and principles. Similarly, the
body of man must not be considered as the individual but only as the house
of the individual, in the same manner that the temple was the House of God.
In a state of grossness and perversion man's body is the tomb or prison of a
divine
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principle; in a state of unfoldment and regeneration it is the House or
Sanctuary of the Deity by whose creative powers it was fashioned.
"Personality is suspended upon a thread from the nature of Being," declares
the secret work. Man is essentially a permanent and immortal principle; only
his bodies pass through the cycle of birth and death. The immortal is the
reality; the mortal is the unreality. During each period of earth life, reality
thus dwells in unreality, to be liberated from it temporarily by death and
permanently by illumination.
It is difficult for many to realize that they are actual universes; that their
physical bodies are a visible nature through the structure of which countless
waves of evolving life are unfolding their latent potentialities. Yet through
man's physical body not only are a mineral, a plant, and an animal kingdom
evolving, but also unknown classifications and divisions of invisible
spiritual life. just as cells are infinitesimal units in the structure of man, so
man is an infinitesimal unit in the structure of the universe. A theology
based upon the knowledge and appreciation of these relationships is as
profoundly just as it is profoundly true.
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earth and water, and the two hands fire and air. The brain then symbolizes
the sacred fifth element--ther--which controls and unites the other four. If
the feet are placed together and the arms outspread, man then symbolizes the
cross with the rational intellect as the head or upper limb.
The fingers and toes also have special significance. The toes represent the
Ten Commandments of the physical law and the fingers the Ten
Commandments of the spiritual law. The four fingers of each hand represent
the four elements and the three phalanges of each finger represent the
divisions of the element, so that in each hand there are twelve parts to the
fingers, which are analogous to the signs of the zodiac, whereas the two
phalanges and base of each thumb signify the threefold Deity. The first
phalange corresponds to the creative aspect, the second to the preservative
aspect, and the base to the generative and destructive aspect. When the
hands are brought together, the result is the twenty-four Elders and the six
Days of Creation.
In symbolism the body is divided vertically into halves, the right half being
considered as light and the left half as darkness. By those unacquainted with
the true meanings of light and darkness the light half was denominated
spiritual and the left half material. Light is the symbol of objectivity;
darkness of subjectivity. Light is a manifestation of life and is therefore
posterior to life. That which is anterior to light is darkness, in which light
exists temporarily but darkness permanently. As life precedes light, its only
symbol is darkness, and darkness is considered as the veil which must
eternally conceal the true nature of abstract and undifferentiated Being.
In ancient times men fought with their right arms and defended the vital
centers with their left arms, on which was carried the protecting shield. The
right half of the body was regarded therefore as offensive and the left half
defensive. For this reason also the right side of the body was considered
masculine and the left side feminine. Several authorities are of the opinion
that the present prevalent right-handedness of the race is the outgrowth of
the custom of holding the left hand in restraint for defensive purposes.
Furthermore, as the source of Being is in the primal darkness which
preceded light, so the spiritual nature of man is in the dark part of his being,
for the heart is on the left side.
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right hand for all constructive labors and the left hand for only those
purposes termed unclean and unfit for the sight of the gods. For the same
reason black magic was often referred to as the left-hand path, and heaven
was said to be upon the right and hell upon the left. Some philosophers
further declared that there were two methods of writing: one from left to
right, which was considered the exoteric method; the other from right to left,
which was considered esoteric. The exoteric writing was that which was
done out or away from the heart, while the esoteric writing was that which--
like the ancient Hebrew--was written toward the heart.
The secret doctrine declares that every part and member of the body is
epitomized in the brain and, in turn, that all that is in the brain is epitomized
in the heart. In symbolism the human head is frequently used to represent
intelligence and self-knowledge. As the human body in its entirety is the
most perfect known product of the earth's evolution, it was employed to
represent Divinity--the highest appreciable state or condition. Artists,
attempting to portray Divinity, often show only a hand emerging from an
impenetrable cloud. The cloud signifies the Unknowable Divinity concealed
from man by human limitation. The hand signifies the Divine activity, the
only part of God which is cognizable to the lower senses.
The face consists of a natural trinity: the eyes representing the spiritual
power which comprehends; the nostrils representing the preservative and
vivifying power; and the mouth and ears representing the material
Demiurgic power of the lower world. The first sphere is eternally existent
and is creative; the second sphere pertains to the mystery of the creative
breach; and the third sphere
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Redrawn from Gichtel's Theosophia Practica.
Johann Georg Gichtel, a profound Philosopher and mystic, the most illumined of the disciples of Jakob
Bhme, secretly circulated the above diagrams among a small group of devoted friends and students.
Gichtel republished the writings of Bhme, illustrating them with numerous remarkable figures. According
to Gichtel, the diagrams above, represent the anatomy of the divine (or inner) man, and graphically set
forth its condition during its human, infernal, and divine states. The plates in the William Law edition of
Bhme's works are based apparently upon Gichtel's diagrams, which they follow in all essentials. Gichtel
gives no detailed description of his figures, and the lettering on the original diagrams here translated out
of the German is the only clue to the interpretation of the charts.
The two end figures represent the obverse and reverse of the same diagram and are termed Table Three.
They are "designed to show the Condition of the whole Man, as to all his three essential Parts, Spirit, Soul,
and Body, in his Regenerated State." The third figure from the left is called the Second Table, and sets forth
"the Condition of Man in his old, lapsed, and corrupted State; without any respect to, or consideration of
his renewing by regeneration." The third figure, however, does not correspond with the First Table of
William Law. The First Table presumably represents the condition of humanity before the Fall, but the
Gichtel plate pertains to the third, or regenerated, state of mankind. William Law thus describes the
purpose of the diagrams, and the symbols upon them: "These three tables are designed to represent Man in
his different Threefold State: the First before his Fall, in Purity, Dominion, and Glory: the Second after his
Fall, in Pollution and Perdition: and the Third in his rising from the Fall, or on the Way of regeneration, in
Sanctification and Tendency to his last Perfection." The student of Orientalism will immediately recognize
in the symbols upon the figures the Hindu chakras, or centers of spiritual force, the various motions and
aspects of which reveal the condition of the disciple's internal divine nature.
to the creative word. By the Word of God the material universe was
fabricated, and the seven creative powers, or vowel sounds--which had been
brought into existence by the speaking of the Word--became the seven
Elohim or Deities by whose power and ministration the lower world was
organized. Occasionally the Deity is symbolized by an eye, an ear, a nose, or
a mouth. By the first, Divine awareness is signified; by the second, Divine
interest; by the third, Divine vitality; and by the fourth, Divine command.
The ancients did not believe that spirituality made men either righteous or
rational, but rather that righteousness and rationality made men spiritual.
The Mysteries taught that spiritual illumination was attained only by
bringing the lower nature up to a certain standard of efficiency and purity.
The Mysteries were therefore established for the purpose of unfolding the
nature of man according to certain fixed rules which, when faithfully
followed, elevated the human consciousness to a point where it was capable
of cognizing its own constitution and the true purpose of existence. This
knowledge of how man's manifold constitution could be most quickly and
most completely regenerated to the point of spiritual illumination constituted
the secret, or esoteric, doctrine of antiquity. Certain apparently physical
organs and centers are in reality the veils or sheaths of spiritual centers.
What these were and how they could be unfolded was never revealed to the
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unregenerate, for the philosophers realized that once he understands the
complete working of any system, a man may accomplish a prescribed end
without being qualified to manipulate and control the effects which he has
produced. For this reason long periods of probation were imposed, so that
the knowledge of how to become as the gods might remain the sole
possession of the worthy.
The garments and ornamentations supposedly worn by the gods are also
keys, for in the Mysteries clothing was considered as synonymous with
form. The degree of spirituality or materiality of the organisms was signified
by the quality, beauty, and value of the garments worn. Man's physical body
was looked upon as the robe of his spiritual nature; consequently, the more
developed were his super-substantial powers the more glorious his apparel.
Of course, clothing was originally worn for ornamentation rather than
protection, and such practice still prevails among many primitive peoples.
The Mysteries caught that man's only lasting adornments were his virtues
and worthy characteristics; that he was clothed in his own accomplishments
and adorned by his attainments. Thus the white robe was symbolic of purity,
the red robe of sacrifice and love, and the blue robe of altruism and integrity.
Since the body was said to be the robe of the spirit, mental or moral
deformities were depicted as deformities of the body.
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possessing individual intelligences. They even went so far as to view the
various kingdoms of Nature as individual entities. The animal kingdom, for
example, was looked upon as one being--a composite of all the creatures
composing that kingdom. This prototypic beast was a mosaic embodiment of
all animal propensities and within its nature the entire animal world existed
as the human species exists within the constitution of the prototypic Adam.
In the same manner, races, nations, tribes, religions, states, communities, and
cities were viewed as composite entities, each made up of varying numbers
of individual units. Every community has an individuality which is the sum
of the individual attitudes of its inhabitants. Every religion is an individual
whose body is made up of a hierarchy and vast host of individual
worshipers. The organization of any religion represents its physical body,
and its individual members the cell life making up this organism.
Accordingly, religions, races, and communities--like individuals--pass
through Shakespeare's Seven Ages, for the life of man is a standard by which
the perpetuity of all things is estimated.
According to the secret doctrine, man, through the gradual refinement of his
vehicles and the ever-increasing sensitiveness resulting from that refinement,
is gradually overcoming the limitations of matter and is disentangling
himself from his mortal coil. When humanity has completed its physical
evolution, the empty shell of materiality left behind will be used by other life
waves as steppingstones to their own liberation. The trend of man's
evolutionary growth is ever toward his own essential Selfhood. At the point
of deepest materialism, therefore, man is at the greatest distance from
Himself. According to the Mystery teachings, not all the spiritual nature of
man incarnates in matter. The spirit of man is diagrammatically shown as an
equilateral triangle with one point downward. This lower point, which is
one-third of the spiritual nature but in comparison to the dignity of the other
two is much less than a third, descends into the illusion of material existence
for a brief space of time. That which never clothes itself in the sheath of
matter is the Hermetic Anthropos--the Overman-- analogous to the Cyclops
or guardian dmon of the Greeks, the angel of Jakob Bhme, and the
Oversoul of Emerson, "that Unity, that Oversoul, within which every man's
particular being is contained and made one with all other."
At birth only a third part of the Divine Nature of man temporarily dissociates
itself from its own immortality and takes upon itself the dream of physical
birth and existence, animating with its own celestial enthusiasm a vehicle
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composed of material elements, part of and bound to the material sphere. At
death this incarnated part awakens from the dream of physical existence and
reunites itself once more with its eternal condition. This periodical descent
of spirit into matter is termed the wheel of life and death, and the principles
involved are treated at length by the philosophers under the subject of
metempsychosis. By initiation into the Mysteries and a certain process
known as operative theology, this law of birth and death is transcended, and
during the course of physical existence that part of the spirit which is asleep
in form is awakened without the intervention of death--the inevitable
Initiator--and is consciously reunited with the Anthropos, or the
overshadowing substance of itself. This is at once the primary purpose and
the consummate achievement of the Mysteries: that man shall become aware
of and consciously be reunited with the divine source of himself without
tasting of physical dissolution.
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Because of his great love for Solomon, Hiram of Tyre sent also the Grand
Master of the Dionysiac Architects, CHiram Abiff, a Widow's Son, who had
no equal among the craftsmen of the earth. CHiram is described as being "a
Tyrian by birch, but of Israelitish descent," and "a second Bezaleel, honored
by his king with the title of Father." The Freemason's Pocket Companion
(published in 1771) describes CHiram as "the most cunning, skilful and
curious workman that ever lived, whose abilities were not confined to
building alone, but extended to all kinds of work, whether in gold, silver,
brass or iron; whether in linen, tapestry, or embroidery; whether considered
as an architect, statuary [sic]; founder or designer, separately or together, he
equally excelled. From his designs, and under his direction, all the rich and
splendid furniture of the Temple and its several appendages were begun,
carried on, and finished. Solomon appointed him, in his absence, to fill the
chair, as Deputy Grand-Master; and in his presence, Senior Grand-Warden,
Master of work, and general overseer of all artists, as well those whom
David had formerly procured from Tyre and Sidon, as those Hiram should
now send." (Modem Masonic writers differ as to the accuracy of the last
sentence.)
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Although an immense amount of labor was involved in its construction,
Solomon's Temple--in the words of George Oliver--"was only a small
building and very inferior in point of size to some of our churches." The
number of buildings contiguous to it and the vast treasure of gold and
precious stones used in its construction concentrated a great amount of
wealth within the temple area. In the midst of the temple stood the Holy of
Holies, sometimes called the Oracle. It was an exact cube, each dimension
being twenty cubits, and exemplified the influence of Egyptian symbolism.
The buildings of the temple group were ornamented with 1,453 columns of
Parian marble, magnificently sculptured, and 2,906 pilasters decorated with
capitals. There was a broad porch facing the east, and the sanctum
sanctorum was upon the west. According to tradition, the various buildings
and courtyards could hold in all 300,000 persons. Both the Sanctuary and the
Holy of Holies were entirely lined with solid gold plates encrusted with
jewels.
King Solomon began the building of the temple in the fourth year of his
reign on what would be, according to modern calculation, the 21st day of
April, and finished it in the eleventh year of his reign on the 23rd day of
October. The temple was begun in the 480th year after the children of Israel
had passed the Red Sea. Part of the labor of construction included the
building of an artificial foundation on the brow of Mount Moriah. The stones
for the temple were hoisted from quarries directly beneath Mount Moriah
and were trued before being brought to the surface. The brass and golden
ornaments for the temple were cast in molds in the clay ground between
Succoth and Zeredatha, and the wooden parts were all finished before they
reached the temple site. The building was put together, consequently,
without sound and without instruments, all its parts fitting exactly "without
the hammer of contention, the axe of division, or any tool of mischief."
"But Dagon's Temple, and the finest structures of Tyre and Sidon, could not
be compared with the Eternal God's Temple at Jerusalem, * * * there were
employed about it no less than 3,600 Princes, or Master-Masons, to conduct
the work according to Solomon's directions, with 80,000 hewers of stone in
the mountain, or Fellow Craftsmen, and 70,000 labourers, in all 153,600
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besides the levy under Adoniram to work in the mountains of Lebanon by
turns with the Sidonians, viz., 30,000, being in all 183,600." Daniel Sickels
gives 3,300 overseers, instead of 3,600, and lists the three Grand Masters
separately. The same author estimates the cost of the temple at nearly four
thousand millions of dollars.
The Masonic legend of the building of Solomon's Temple does not in every
particular parallel the Scriptural version, especially in those portions relating
to CHiram Abiff. According to the Biblical account, this Master workman
returned to his own country; in the Masonic allegory he is foully murdered.
On this point A. E. Waite, in his New Encyclopdia of Freemasonry, makes
the following explanatory comment:
CHiram, as Master of the Builders, divided his workmen into three groups,
which were termed Entered Apprentices, Fellow-Craftsmen, and Master
Masons. To each division he gave certain
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To Mars, the ancient plane of cosmic energy, the Atlantean and Chaldean "star gazers" assigned Aries as a
diurnal throne and Scorpio as a nocturnal throne. Those not raised to spiritual life by initiation are
described as "dead from the sting of a scorpion," for they wander in the night side of divine power.
Through the mystery of the Paschal Lamb, or the attainment of the Golden Fleece, these soul are raised
into the constructive day Power of Mars in Aries--the symbol of the Creator.
When worn over the area related to the animal passions, the pure lambskin signifies the regeneration of the
procreative forces and their consecration to the service of the Deity. The size of the apron, exclusive of the
flap, makes it the symbol of salvation, for the Mysteries declare that it must consist of 144 square inches.
The apron shown above contains a wealth of symbolism: the beehive, emblematic of the Masonic lodge
itself, the trowel, the mallet, and the trestleboad; the rough and trued ashlars; the pyramids and hills of
Lebanon; the pillars, the Temple, and checkerboard floor; and the blazing star and tools of the Craft. The
center of the apron is occupied by the compass and square, representative of the Macrocosm an the
microcosm, and the alternately black and white serpent of astral light. Below is an acacia branch with
seven sprigs, signifying the life Centers of the superior and the inferior man. The skull and cross bones are
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a continual reminder that the spiritual nature attains liberation only after the philosophical death of man's
sensuous personality.
The body of CHiram was buried by the murderers over the brow of Mount
Moriah and a sprig of acacia placed upon the grave. The murderers then
sought to escape punishment for their crime by embarking for Ethiopia, but
the port was closed. All three were finally captured, and after admitting their
guilt were duly executed. Parties of three were then sent out by King
Solomon, and one of these groups discovered the newly made grave marked
by the evergreen sprig. After the Entered Apprentices and the Fellow-
Craftsmen had failed to resurrect their Master from the dead he was finally
raised by the Master Mason with the "strong grip of a Lion's Paw."
To the initiated Builder the name CHiram Abiff signifies "My Father, the
Universal Spirit, one in essence, three in aspect." Thus the murdered Master
is a type of the Cosmic Martyr--the crucified Spirit of Good, the dying god--
whose Mystery is celebrated throughout the world. Among the manuscripts
of Dr. Sigismund Bastrom, the initiated Rosicrucian, appears the following
extract from von Welling concerning the true philosophic nature of the
Masonic CHiram:
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"The original word , CHiram, is a radical word consisting of three
consonants and i. e. Cheth, Resh and Mem. (1) , Cheth, signifies
Chamah, the Sun's light, i. e. the Universal, invisible, cold fire of Nature
attracted by the Sun, manifested into light and sent down to us and to every
planetary body belonging to the solar system. (2) , Resh, signifies
Ruach, i. e. Spirit, air, wind, as being the Vehicle which conveys and
collects the light into numberless Foci, wherein the solar rays of light are
agitated by a circular motion and manifested in Heat and burning Fire. (3) ,
or Mem, signifies majim, water, humidity, but rather the mother of water, i.
e. Radical Humidity or a particular kind of condensed air. These three
constitute the Universal Agent or fire of Nature in one word, , CHiram,
not Hiram."
Albert Pike mentions several forms of the name CHiram: Khirm, Khurm,
and Khur-Om, the latter ending in the sacred Hindu monosyllable OM,
which may also be extracted from the names of the three murderers. Pike
further relates the three ruffians to a triad of stars in the constellation of
Libra and also calls attention to the fact that the Chaldean god Bal--
metamorphosed into a demon by the Jews--appears in the name of each of
the murderers, Jubela, Jubelo, and Jubelum. To interpret the Hiramic legend
requires familiarity with both the Pythagorean and Qabbalistic systems of
numbers and letters, and also the philosophic and astronomic cycles of the
Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Brahmins. For example, consider the number 33.
The first temple of Solomon stood for thirty-three years in its pristine
splendor. At the end of that time it was pillaged by the Egyptian King
Shishak, and finally (588 B.C.) it was completely destroyed by
Nebuchadnezzar and the people of Jerusalem were led into captivity to
Babylon. (See General History of Freemasonry, by Robert Macoy.) Also
King David ruled for thirty-three years in Jerusalem; the Masonic Order is
divided into thirty-three symbolic degrees; there are thirty-three segments in
the human spinal column; and Jesus was crucified in the thirty-third year of
His life.
The efforts made to discover the origin of the Hiramic legend show that,
while the legend in its present form is comparatively modem, its underlying
principles run back to remotest antiquity. It is generally admitted by modem
Masonic scholars that the story of the martyred CHiram is based upon the
Egyptian rites of Osiris, whose death and resurrection figuratively portrayed
the spiritual death of man and his regeneration through initiation into the
Mysteries. CHiram is also identified with Hermes through the inscription on
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the Emerald Table. From these associations it is evident that CHiram is to be
considered as a prototype of humanity; in fact he is Plato's Idea (archetype)
of man. As Adam after the Fall symbolizes the Idea of human degeneration,
so CHiram through his resurrection symbolizes the Idea of human
regeneration.
On the 19th day of March, 1314, Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of
the Knights Templars, was burned on a pyre erected upon that point of the
islet of the Seine, at Paris, where afterwards was erected the statue of King
Henry IV. (See The Indian Religions, by Hargrave Jennings.) "It is
mentioned as a tradition in some of the accounts of the burning," writes
Jennings, "that Molay, ere he expired, summoned Clement, the Pope who
had pronounced the bull of abolition against the Order and had condemned
the Grand Master to the flames, to appear, within forty days, before the
Supreme Eternal judge, and Philip [the king] to the same awful tribunal
within the space of a year. Both predictions were fulfilled." The close
relationship between Freemasonry and the original Knights Templars has
caused the story of CHiram to be linked with the martyrdom of Jacques de
Molay. According to this interpretation, the three ruffians who cruelly slew
their Master at the gates of the temple because he refused to reveal the
secrets of his Order represent the Pope, the king, and the executioners. De
Molay died maintaining his innocence and refusing to disclose the
philosophical and magical arcana of the Templars.
Those who have sought to identify CHiram with the murdered King Charles
the First conceive the Hiramic legend to have been invented for that purpose
by Elias Ashmole, a mystical philosopher, who was probably a member of
the Rosicrucian Fraternity. Charles was dethroned in 1647 and died on the
block in 1649, leaving the Royalist party leaderless. An attempt has been
made to relate the term "the Sons of the Widow" (an appellation frequently
applied to members of the Masonic Order) to this incident in English history,
for by the murder of her king England became a Widow and all Englishmen
Widow's Sons.
To the mystic Christian Mason, CHiram. represents the Christ who in three
days (degrees) raised the temple of His body from its earthly sepulcher. His
three murderers were Csar's agent (the state), the Sanhedrin (the church),
and the incited populace (the mob). Thus considered, CHiram becomes the
higher nature of man and the murderers are ignorance, superstition, and fear.
The indwelling Christ can give expression to Himself in this world only
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through man's thoughts, feelings, and actions. Right thinking, right feeling,
and right action--these are three gates through which the Christ power passes
into the material world, there to labor in the erection of the Temple of
Universal Brotherhood. Ignorance, superstition, and fear are three ruffians
through whose agencies the Spirit of Good is murdered and a false kingdom,
controlled by wrong thinking, wrong feeling, and wrong action, established
in its stead. In the material universe evil appears ever victorious.
"In this sense," writes Daniel Sickels, "the myth of the Tyrian is perpetually
repeated in the history of human affairs. Orpheus was murdered, and his
body thrown into the Hebrus; Socrates was made to drink the hemlock; and,
in all ages, we have seen Evil temporarily triumphant, and Virtue and Truth
calumniated, persecuted, crucified, and slain. But Eternal justice marches
surely and swiftly through the world: the Typhons, the children of darkness,
the plotters of crime, all the infinitely varied forms of evil, are swept into
oblivion; and Truth and Virtue--for a time laid low--come forth, clothed with
diviner majesty, and crowned with everlasting glory!" (See General Ahiman
Rezon.)
If, as there is ample reason to suspect, the modern Freemasonic Order was
profoundly influenced by, if it is not an actual outgrowth of, Francis Bacon's
secret society, its symbolism is undoubtedly permeated with Bacon's two
great ideals: universal education and universal democracy. The deadly
enemies of universal education are ignorance, superstition, and fear, by
which the human soul is held in bondage to the lowest part of its own
constitution. The arrant enemies of universal democracy have ever been the
crown, the tiara, and the torch. Thus CHiram symbolizes that ideal state of
spiritual, intellectual, and physical emancipation which has ever been
sacrificed upon the altar of human selfishness. CHiram is the Beautifier of
the Eternal House. Modern utilitarianism, however, sacrifices the beautiful
for the practical, in the same breath declaring the obvious lie that selfishness,
hatred, and discord are practical.
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In an old manuscript appears the statement that the Freemasonic Order was
formed by alchemists and Hermetic philosophers who had banded
themselves together to protect their secrets against the infamous methods
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used by avaricious persons to wring from them the secret of gold-making.
The fact that the Hiramic legend contains an alchemical formula gives
credence to this story. Thus the building of Solomon's Temple represents the
consummation of the magnum opus, which cannot be realized without the
assistance of CHiram, the Universal Agent. The Masonic Mysteries teach
the initiate how to prepare within his own soul a miraculous powder of
projection by which it is possible for him to transmute the base lump of
human ignorance, perversion, and discord into an ingot of spiritual and
philosophic gold.
Sufficient similarity exists between the Masonic CHiram and the Kundalini
of Hindu mysticism to warrant the assumption that CHiram may be
considered a symbol also of the Spirit Fire moving through the sixth
ventricle of the spinal column. The exact science of human regeneration is
the Lost Key of Masonry, for when the Spirit Fire is lifted up through the
thirty-three degrees, or segments of the spinal column, and enters into the
domed chamber of the human skull, it finally passes into the pituitary body
(Isis), where it invokes Ra (the pineal gland) and demands the Sacred Name.
Operative Masonry, in the fullest meaning of that term, signifies the process
by which the Eye of Horus is opened. E. A. Wallis Budge has noted that in
some of the papyri illustrating the entrance of the souls of the dead into the
judgment hall of Osiris the deceased person has a pine cone attached to the
crown of his head. The Greek mystics also carried a symbolic staff, the
upper end being in the form of a pine cone, which was called the thyrsus of
Bacchus. In the human brain there is a tiny gland called the pineal body,
which is the sacred eye of the ancients, and corresponds to the third eye of
the Cyclops. Little is known concerning the function of the pineal body,
which Descartes suggested (more wisely than he knew) might be the abode
of the spirit of man. As its name signifies, the pineal gland is the sacred pine
cone in man--the eye single, which cannot be opened until CHiram (the
Spirit Fire) is raised through the sacred seals which are called the Seven
Churches in Asia.
There is an Oriental painting which shows three sun bursts. One sunburst
covers the head, in the midst of which sits Brahma with four heads, his body
a mysterious dark color. The second sunburst--which covers the heart, solar
plexus, and upper abdominal region--shows Vishnu sitting in the blossom of
the lotus on a couch formed of the coils of the serpent of cosmic motion, its
seven-hooded head forming a canopy over the god. The third sunburst is
over the generative system, in the midst of which sits Shiva, his body a
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grayish white and the Ganges River flowing out of the crown of his head.
This painting was the work of a Hindu mystic who spent many years subtly
concealing great philosophical principles within these figures. The Christian
legends could be related also to the human body by the same method as the
Oriental, for the arcane meanings hidden in the teachings of both schools are
identical.
As applied to Masonry, the three sunbursts represent the gates of the temple
at which CHiram was struck, there being no gate in the north because the
sun never shines from the northern angle of the heavens. The north is the
symbol of the physical because of its relation to ice (crystallized water) and
to the body (crystallized spirit). In man the light shines toward the north but
never from it, because the body has no light of its own but shines with the
reflected glory of the divine life-particles concealed within physical
substance. For this reason the moon is accepted as the symbol of man's
physical nature. CHiram is the mysterious fiery, airy water which must be
raised through the three grand centers symbolized by the ladder with three
rungs and the sunburst flowers mentioned in the description of the Hindu
painting. It must also pass upward by means of the ladder of seven rungs-the
seven plexuses proximate to the spine. The nine segments of the sacrum and
coccyx are pierced by ten foramina, through which pass the roots of the Tree
of Life. Nine is the sacred number of man, and in the symbolism of the
sacrum and coccyx a great mystery is concealed. That part of the body from
the kidneys downward was termed by the early Qabbalists the Land of Egypt
into which the children of Israel were taken during the captivity. Out of
Egypt, Moses (the illuminated mind, as his name implies) led the tribes of
Israel (the twelve faculties) by raising the brazen serpent in the wilderness
upon the symbol of the Tau cross. Not only CHiram but the god-men of
nearly every pagan Mystery ritual are personifications of the Spirit Fire in
the human spinal cord.
The astronomical aspect of the Hiramic legend must not be overlooked. The
tragedy of CHiram is enacted annually by the sun during its passage through
the signs of the zodiac.
"From the journey of the Sun through the twelve signs," writes Albert Pike,
"come the legend of the twelve labors of Hercules, and the incarnations of
Vishnu and Buddha. Hence came the legend of the murder of Khurum,
representative of the Sun, by the three Fellow-Crafts, symbols of the Winter
signs, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces, who assailed him at the three gates
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of Heaven and slew him at the Winter Solstice. Hence the search for him by
the nine Fellow-Crafts, the other nine signs, his finding, burial, and
resurrection." (See Morals and Dogma.)
Other authors consider Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius as the three murderers
of the sun, inasmuch as Osiris was murdered by Typhon, to whom were
assigned the thirty degrees of the constellation of Scorpio. In the Christian
Mysteries also Judas signifies the Scorpion, and the thirty pieces of silver for
which he betrayed His Lord represent the number of degrees in that sign.
Having been struck by Libra (the state), Scorpio (the church), and Sagittarius
(the mob), the sun (CHiram) is secretly home through the darkness by the
signs of Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces and buried over the brow of a hill
(the vernal equinox). Capricorn has for its symbol an old man with a scythe
in his hand. This is Father Time--a wayfarer--who is symbolized in Masonry
as straightening out the ringlets of a young girl's hair. If the Weeping Virgin
be considered a symbol of Virgo, and Father Time with his scythe a symbol
of Capricorn, then the interval of ninety degrees between these two signs
will be found to correspond to that occupied by the three murderers.
Esoterically, the urn containing the ashes of CHiram represents the human
heart. Saturn, the old man who lives at the north pole, and brings with him to
the children of men a sprig of evergreen (the Christmas tree), is familiar to
the little folks under the name of Santa Claus, for he brings each winter the
gift of a new year.
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tragedy is repeated, and the glorious resurrection takes place." (See Stellar
Theology and Masonic Astronomy.)
DIANA OF EPHESUS
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of the Great Multimammia, is the spiritual food of those aspiring men and women who have consecrated
their lives to the contemplation of reality. As the physical body of man receives its nutriment from the Great
Earth Mother, so the spiritual nature of man is fed from the never failing fountains of Truth pouring
outward from the invisible worlds.
the winter solstice of the spirit. Reaching the winter solstice, the sun
apparently stands still for three days and then, rolling away the stone of
winter, begins its triumphal march north towards the summer solstice. The
condition of ignorance may be likened to the winter solstice of philosophy;
spiritual understanding to the summer solstice. From this point of view,
initiation into the Mysteries becomes the vernal equinox of the spirit, at
which time the CHiram in man crosses from the realm of mortality into that
of eternal life. The autumnal equinox is analogous to the mythological fall of
man, at which time the human spirit descended into the realms of Hades by
being immersed in the illusion of terrestrial existence.
The substitution of the discord of the fantastic for the harmony of the
beautiful constitutes one of the great tragedies of every civilization. Not only
were the Savior-Gods of the ancient world beautiful, but each performed a
ministry of beauty, seeking to effect man's regeneration by arousing within
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him the love of the beautiful. A renaissance of the golden age of fable can be
made possible only by the elevation of beauty to its rightful dignity as the
all-pervading, idealizing quality in the religious, ethical, sociological,
scientific, and political departments of life. The Dionysiac Architects were
consecrated to the raising of their Master Spirit--Cosmic Beauty--from the
sepulcher of material ignorance and selfishness by erecting buildings which
were such perfect exemplars of symmetry and majesty that they were
actually magical formul by which was evoked the spirit of the martyred
Beautifier entombed within a materialistic world.
In the Masonic Mysteries the triune spirit of man (the light Delta) is
symbolized by the three Grand Masters of the Lodge of Jerusalem. As God
is the pervading principle of three worlds, in each of which He manifests as
an active principle, so the spirit of man, partaking of the nature of Divinity,
dwells upon three planes of being: the Supreme, the Superior, and the
Inferior spheres of the Pythagoreans. At the gate of the Inferior sphere (the
underworld, or dwelling place of mortal creatures) stands the guardian of
Hades--the three--headed dog Cerberus, who is analogous to the three
murderers of the Hiramic legend. According to this symbolic interpretation
of the triune spirit, CHiram is the third, or incarnating, part--the Master
Builder who through all ages erects living temples of flesh and blood as
shrines of the Most High. CHiram comes forth as a flower and is cut down;
he dies at the gates of matter; he is buried in the elements of creation, but--
like Thor--he swings his mighty hammer in the fields of space, sets the
primordial atoms in motion, and establishes order out of Chaos. As the
potentiality of cosmic power within each human soul, CHiram lies waiting
for man by the elaborate ritualism of life to transmute potentiality into divine
potency. As the sense perceptions of the individual increase, however, man
gains ever greater control over his various parts, and the spirit of life within
gradually attains freedom. The three murderers represent the laws of the
Inferior world--birth, growth, and decay--which ever frustrate the plan of the
Builder. To the average individual, physical birch actually signifies the death
of CHiram, and physical death the resurrection of CHiram. To the initiate,
however, the resurrection of the spiritual nature is accomplished without the
intervention of physical death.
The curious symbols found in the base of Cleopatra's Needle now standing
in Central Park, New York, were interpreted as being of first Masonic
significance by S. A. Zola, 33 Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of
Egypt. Masons' marks and symbols are to be found on the stones of
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numerous public buildings not only in England and on the Continent but also
in Asia. In his Indian Masons' Marks of the Moghul Dynasty, A. Gorham
describes scores of markings appearing on the walls of buildings such as the
Taj Mahal, the Jama Masjid, and that: famous Masonic structure, the Kutab
Minar. According to those who regard Masonry as an outgrowth of the
secret society of architects and builders which for thousands of years formed
a caste of master craftsmen, CHiram Abiff was the Tyrian Grand Master of a
world-wide organization of artisans, with headquarters in Tyre. Their
philosophy consisted of incorporating into the measurements and
ornamentation of temples, palaces, mausoleums, fortresses, and other public
buildings their knowledge of the laws controlling the universe. Every
initiated workman was given a hieroglyphic with which he marked the
stones he trued to show to all posterity that he thus dedicated to the Supreme
Architect of the Universe each perfected product of his labor. Concerning
Masons' marks, Robert Freke Gould writes:
"It is very remarkable that these marks are to be found in all countries--in the
chambers of the Great Pyramid at Gizeh, on the underground walls of
Jerusalem, in Herculaneum and Pompeii, on Roman walls and Grecian
temples, in Hindustan, Mexico, Peru, Asia Minor--as well as on the great
ruins of England, France, Germany, Scotland, Italy, Portugal and Spain."
(See A Concise History of Freemasonry.)
From this viewpoint the story of CHiram may well represent the
incorporation of the divine secrets of architecture into the actual parts and
dimensions of earthly buildings. The three degrees of the Craft bury the
Grand Master (the Great Arcanum) in the actual structure they erect, after
first having killed him with the builders' tools, by reducing the dimensionless
Spirit of Cosmic Beauty to the limitations of concrete form. These abstract
ideals of architecture can be resurrected, however, by the Master Mason
who, by meditating upon the structure, releases therefrom the divine
principles of architectonic philosophy incorporated or buried within it. Thus
the physical building is actually the tomb or embodiment of the Creative
Ideal of which its material dimensions are but the shadow.
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church, and mob. They were desecrated by the state, jealous of their wealth
and power; by the early church, fearful of their wisdom; and by the rabble or
soldiery incited by both state and church. As CHiram when raised from his
grave whispers the Master Mason's Word which was lost through his
untimely death, so according to the tenets of philosophy the reestablishment
or resurrection of the ancient Mysteries will result in the rediscovery of that
secret teaching without which civilization must continue in a state of
spiritual confusion and uncertainty.
When the mob governs, man is ruled by ignorance; when the church
governs, he is ruled by superstition; and when the state governs, he is ruled
by fear. Before men can live together in harmony and understanding,
ignorance must be transmuted into wisdom, superstition into an illumined
faith, and fear into love. Despite statements to the contrary, Masonry is a
religion seeking to unite God and man by elevating its initiates to that level
of consciousness whereon they can behold with clarified vision the workings
of the Great Architect of the Universe. From age to age the vision of a
perfect civilization is preserved as the ideal for mankind. In the midst of that
civilization shall stand a mighty university wherein both the sacred and
secular sciences concerning the mysteries of life will be freely taught to all
who will assume the philosophic life. Here creed and dogma will have no
place; the superficial will be removed and only the essential be preserved.
The world will be ruled by its most illumined minds, and each will occupy
the position for which he is most admirably fitted.
The great university will be divided into grades, admission to which will be
through preliminary tests or initiations. Here mankind will be instructed in
the most sacred, the most secret, and the most enduring of all Mysteries--
Symbolism. Here the initiate will be taught that every visible object, every
abstract thought, every emotional reaction is but the symbol of an eternal
principle. Here mankind will learn that CHiram (Truth) lies buried in every
atom of Kosmos; that every form is a symbol and every symbol the tomb of
an eternal verity. Through education--spiritual, mental, moral, and physical--
man will learn to release living truths from their lifeless coverings. The
perfect government of the earth must be patterned eventually after that
divine government by which the universe is ordered. In that day when
perfect order is reestablished, with peace universal and good triumphant,
men will no longer seek for happiness, for they shall find it welling up
within themselves. Dead hopes, dead aspirations, dead virtues shall rise from
their graves, and the Spirit of Beauty and Goodness repeatedly slain by
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ignorant men shall again be the Master of Work. Then shall sages sit upon
the seats of the mighty and the gods walk with men.
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It is highly probable that the Greek initiates gained their knowledge of the
philosophic and therapeutic aspects of music from the Egyptians, who, in
turn, considered Hermes the founder of the art. According to one legend, this
god constructed the first lyre by stretching strings across the concavity of a
turtle shell. Both Isis and Osiris were patrons of music and poetry. Plato, in
describing the antiquity of these arts among the Egyptians, declared that
songs and poetry had existed in Egypt for at least ten thousand years, and
that these were of such an exalted and inspiring nature that only gods or
godlike men could have composed them. In the Mysteries the lyre was
regarded as the secret symbol of the human constitution, the body of the
instrument representing the physical form, the strings the nerves, and the
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musician the spirit. Playing upon the nerves, the spirit thus created the
harmonies of normal functioning, which, however, became discords if the
nature of man were defiled.
While the early Chinese, Hindus, Persians, Egyptians, Israelites, and Greeks
employed both vocal and instrumental music in their religious ceremonials,
also to complement their poetry and drama, it remained for Pythagoras to
raise the art to its true dignity by demonstrating its mathematical foundation.
Although it is said that he himself was not a musician, Pythagoras is now
generally credited with the discovery of the diatonic scale. Having first
learned the divine theory of music from the priests of the various Mysteries
into which he had been accepted, Pythagoras pondered for several years
upon the laws governing consonance and dissonance. How he actually
solved the problem is unknown, but the following explanation has been
invented.
Pythagoras thereupon discovered that the first and fourth strings when
sounded together produced the harmonic interval of the octave, for doubling
the weight had the same effect as halving the string. The tension of the first
string being twice that of the fourth string, their ratio was said to be 2:1, or
duple. By similar experimentation he ascertained that the first and third
string produced the harmony of the diapente, or the interval of the fifth. The
tension of the first string being half again as much as that of the third string,
their ratio was said to be 3:2, or sesquialter. Likewise the second and fourth
strings, having the same ratio as the first and third strings, yielded a diapente
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harmony. Continuing his investigation, Pythagoras discovered that the first
and second strings produced the harmony of the diatessaron, or the interval
of the third; and the tension of the first string being a third greater than that
of the second string, their ratio was said to be 4:3, or sesquitercian. The third
and fourth strings, having the same ratio as the first and second strings,
produced another harmony of the diatessaron. According to Iamblichus, the
second and third strings had the ratio of 8:9, or epogdoan.
In the Pythagorean concept of the music of the spheres, the interval between the earth and the sphere of the
fixed stars was considered to be a diapason--the most perfect harmonic interval. The allowing arrangement
is most generally accepted for the musical intervals of the planets between the earth and the sphere of the
fixed stars: From the sphere of the earth to the sphere of the moon; one tone; from the sphere of the moon
to that of Mercury, one half-tone; from Mercury to Venus, one-half; from Venus to the sun, one and one-
half tones; from the sun to Mars, one tone; from Mars to Jupiter, one-half tone; from Jupiter to Saturn, one-
half tone; from Saturn to the fixed stars, one-half tone. The sum of these intervals equals the six whole
tones of the octave.
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energy nor substance predominate. The mundane monochord consists of a hypothetical string stretched
from the base of the pyramid of energy to the base of the pyramid of substance.
described will not produce the various tones ascribed to them. In all
probability, therefore, Pythagoras actually worked out his theory of harmony
from the monochord--a contrivance consisting of a single string stretched
between two pegs and supplied with movable frets.
Since they held that harmony must be determined not by the sense
perceptions but by reason and mathematics, the Pythagoreans called
themselves Canonics, as distinguished from musicians of the Harmonic
School, who asserted taste and instinct to be the true normative principles of
harmony. Recognizing, however, the profound effect: of music upon the
senses and emotions, Pythagoras did not hesitate to influence the mind and
body with what he termed "musical medicine."
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Pythagoras evinced such a marked preference for stringed instruments that
he even went so far as to warn his disciples against allowing their ears to be
defiled by the sounds of flutes or cymbals. He further declared that the soul
could be purified from its irrational influences by solemn songs sung to the
accompaniment of the lyre. In his investigation of the therapeutic value of
harmonics, Pythagoras discovered that the seven modes--or keys--of the
Greek system of music had the power to incite or allay the various emotions.
It is related that while observing the stars one night he encountered a young
man befuddled with strong drink and mad with jealousy who was piling
faggots about his mistress' door with the intention of burning the house. The
frenzy of the youth was accentuated by a flutist a short distance away who
was playing a tune in the stirring Phrygian mode. Pythagoras induced the
musician to change his air to the slow, and rhythmic Spondaic mode,
whereupon the intoxicated youth immediately became composed and,
gathering up his bundles of wood, returned quietly to his own home.
Pythagoras cured many ailments of the spirit, soul, and body by having
certain specially prepared musical compositions played in the presence of
the sufferer or by personally reciting short selections from such early poets
as Hesiod and Homer. In his university at Crotona it was customary for the
Pythagoreans to open and to close each day with songs--those in the
morning calculated to clear the mind from sleep and inspire it to the
activities of the coming day; those in the evening of a mode soothing,
relaxing, and conducive to rest. At the vernal equinox, Pythagoras caused his
disciples to gather in a circle around one of their number who led them in
song and played their accompaniment upon a lyre.
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aberration of the soul. There is also another kind of modulation invented as a
remedy against desires." (See The Life of Pythagoras.)
The far-reaching effect exercised by music upon the culture of the Greeks is
thus summed up by Emil Nauman: "Plato depreciated the notion that music
was intended solely to create cheerful and agreeable emotions, maintaining
rather that it should inculcate a love of all that is noble, and hatred of all that
is mean, and that nothing could more strongly influence man's innermost
feelings than melody and rhythm. Firmly convinced of this, he agreed with
Damon of Athens, the musical instructor of Socrates, that the introduction of
a new and presumably enervating scale would endanger the future of a
whole nation, and that it was not possible to alter a key without shaking the
very foundations of the State. Plato affirmed that music which ennobled the
mind was of a far higher kind than that which merely appealed to the senses,
and he strongly insisted that it was the paramount duty of the Legislature to
suppress all music of an effeminate and lascivious character, and to
encourage only s that which was pure and dignified; that bold and stirring
melodies were for men, gentle and soothing ones for women. From this it is
evident that music played a considerable part in the education of the Greek
youth. The greatest care was also to be taken in the selection of instrumental
music, because the absence of words rendered its signification doubtful, and
it was difficult to foresee whether it would exercise upon the people a benign
or baneful influence. Popular taste, being always tickled by sensuous and
meretricious effects, was to be treated with deserved contempt. (See The
History of Music.)
Even today martial music is used with telling effect in times of war, and
religious music, while no longer developed in accordance with the ancient
theory, still profoundly influences the emotions of the laity.
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The most sublime but least known of all the Pythagorean speculations was
that of sidereal harmonics. It was said that of all men only Pythagoras heard
the music of the spheres. Apparently the Chaldeans were the first people to
conceive of the heavenly bodies joining in a cosmic chant as they moved in
stately manner across the sky. Job describes a time "when the stars of the
morning sang together," and in The Merchant of Venice the author of the
Shakesperian plays
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From Fludd's De Musica Mundana.
In this chart is set forth a summary of Fludd's theory of universal music. The interval between the element
of earth and the highest heaven is considered as a double octave, thus showing the two extremes of
existence to be in disdiapason harmony. It is signifies that the highest heaven, the sun, and the earth have
the same time, the difference being in pitch. The sun is the lower octave of the highest heaven and the earth
the lower octave of the sun. The lower octave ( to G) comprises that part of the universe in which
substance predominate over energy. Its harmonies, therefore, are more gross than those of the higher
octave (G to g) wherein energy predominates over substance. "If struck in the more spiritual part," writes
Fludd, "the monochord will give eternal life; if in the more material part, transitory life." It will be noted
that certain elements, planets, and celestial spheres sustain a harmonic ratio to each other, Fludd
advanced this as a key to the sympathies and antipathies existing between the various departments of
Nature.
writes: "There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st but in his motion
like an angel sings." So little remains, however, of the Pythagorean system
of celestial music that it is only possible to approximate his actual theory.
The names given by the Pythagoreans to the various notes of the diatonic
scale were, according to Macrobius, derived from an estimation of the
velocity and magnitude of the planetary bodies. Each of these gigantic
spheres as it rushed endlessly through space was believed to sound a certain
tone caused by its continuous displacement of the thereal diffusion. As
these tones were a manifestation of divine order and motion, it must
necessarily follow that they partook of the harmony of their own source.
"The assertion that the planets in their revolutions round the earth uttered
certain sounds differing according to their respective 'magnitude, celerity
and local distance,' was commonly made by the Greeks. Thus Saturn, the
farthest planet, was said to give the gravest note, while the Moon, which is
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the nearest, gave the sharpest. 'These sounds of the seven planets, and the
sphere of the fixed stars, together with that above us [Antichthon], are the
nine Muses, and their joint symphony is called Mnemosyne.'" (See The
Canon.)This quotation contains an obscure reference to the ninefold division
of the universe previously mentioned.
Many early instruments had seven Strings, and it is generally conceded that
Pythagoras was the one who added the eighth string to the lyre of Terpander.
The seven strings were always related both to their correspondences in the
human body and to the planets. The names of God were also conceived to be
formed from combinations of the seven planetary harmonies. The Egyptians
confined their sacred songs to the seven primary sounds, forbidding any
others to be uttered in their temples. One of their hymns contained the
following invocation: "The seven sounding tones praise Thee, the Great
God, the ceaseless working Father of the whole universe." In another the
Deity describes Himself thus: "I am the great indestructible lyre of the whole
world, attuning the songs of the heavens. (See Nauman's History of Music.)
The Pythagoreans believed that everything which existed had a voice and
that all creatures were eternally singing the praise of the Creator. Man fails
to hear these divine melodies because his soul is enmeshed in the illusion of
material existence. When he liberates himself from the bondage of the lower
world with its sense limitations, the music of the spheres will again be
audible as it was in the Golden Age. Harmony recognizes harmony, and
when the human soul regains its true estate it will not only hear the celestial
choir but also join with it in an everlasting anthem of praise to that Eternal
Good controlling the infinite number of parts and conditions of Being.
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The Greek Mysteries included in their doctrines a magnificent concept of the
relationship existing between music and form. The elements of architecture,
for example, were considered as comparable to musical modes and notes, or
as having a musical counterpart. Consequently when a building was erected
in which a number of these elements were combined, the structure was then
likened to a musical chord, which was harmonic only when it fully satisfied
the mathematical requirements of harmonic intervals. The realization of this
analogy between sound and form led Goethe to declare that "architecture is
crystallized music."
Every element in Nature has its individual keynote. If these elements are
combined in a composite structure the result is a chord that, if sounded, will
disintegrate the compound into its integral parts. Likewise each individual
has a keynote that, if sounded, will destroy him. The allegory of the walls of
Jericho falling when the trumpets of Israel were sounded is undoubtedly
intended to set forth the arcane significance of individual keynote or
vibration.
"Light," writes Edwin D. Babbitt, "reveals the glories of the external world
and yet is the most glorious of them all. It gives beauty, reveals beauty and is
itself most beautiful. It is the analyzer, the truth-teller and the exposer of
shams, for it shows things as they are. Its infinite streams measure off the
universe and flow into our telescopes from stars which are quintillions of
miles distant. On the other hand it descends to objects inconceivably small,
and reveals through the microscope objects fifty millions of times less than
can be seen by the naked eye. Like all other fine forces, its movement is
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wonderfully soft, yet penetrating and powerful. Without its vivifying
influence, vegetable, animal, and human life must immediately perish from
the earth, and general ruin take place. We shall do well, then, to consider this
potential and beautiful principle of light and its component colors, for the
more deeply we penetrate into its inner laws, the more will it present itself as
a marvelous storehouse of power to vitalize, heal, refine, and delight
mankind." (See The Principles of Light and Color.)
Since light is the basic physical manifestation of life, bathing all creation in
its radiance, it is highly important to realize, in part at least, the subtle nature
of this divine substance. That which is called light is actually a rate of
vibration causing certain reactions upon the optic nerve. Few realize how
they are walled in by the limitations
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As the sum of a diatessaron and a diapente equals a diapason, or octave, it is evident that both the sphere
of fire and the sphere of earth are in diapason harmony with the sphere of equality, and also that fire and
earth are in disdiapason harmony with each other.
of the sense perceptions. Not only is there a great deal more to light than
anyone has ever seen but there are also unknown forms of light which no
optical equipment will ever register. There are unnumbered colors which
cannot be seen, as well as sounds which cannot be heard, odors which
cannot be smelt, flavors which cannot be tasted, and substances which
cannot be felt. Man is thus surrounded by a supersensible universe of which
he knows nothing because the centers of sense perception within himself
have not been developed sufficiently to respond to the subtler rates of
vibration of which that universe is composed.
Among both civilized and savage peoples color has been accepted as a
natural language in which to couch their religious and philosophical
doctrines. The ancient city of Ecbatana as described by Herodotus, its seven
walls colored according to the seven planets, revealed the knowledge of this
subject possessed by the Persian Magi. The famous zikkurat or astronomical
tower of the god Nebo at Borsippa ascended in seven great steps or stages,
each step being painted in the key color of one of the planetary bodies. (See
Lenormant's Chaldean Magic.) It is thus evident that the Babylonians were
familiar with the concept of the spectrum in its relation to the seven Creative
Gods or Powers. In India, one of the Mogul emperors caused a fountain to
be made with seven levels. The water pouring down the sides through
specially arranged channels changed color as it descended, passing
sequentially through all shades of the spectrum. In Tibet, color is employed
by the native artists to express various moods. L. Austine Waddell, writing
of Northern Buddhist art, notes that in Tibetan mythology "White and
yellow complexions usually typify mild moods, while the red, blue, and
black belong to fierce forms, though sometimes light blue, as indicating the
sky, means merely celestial. Generally the gods are pictured white, goblins
red, and devils black, like their European relative." (See The Buddhism of
Tibet.)
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color is neither the active nor the passive element, but something which
passes between them, and is peculiar to each percipient; are you certain that
the several colors appear to every animal--say a dog--as they appear to you?"
In the Mysteries the seven Logi, or Creative Lords, are shown as streams of
force issuing from the mouth of the Eternal One. This signifies the spectrum
being extracted from the white light of the Supreme Deity. The seven
Creators, or Fabricators, of the inferior spheres were called by the Jews the
Elohim. By the Egyptians they were referred to as the Builders (sometimes
as the Governors) and are depicted with great knives in their hands with
which they carved the universe from its primordial substance. Worship of
the planets is based upon their acceptation as the cosmic embodiments of the
seven creative attributes of God. The Lords of the planets were described as
dwelling within the body of the sun, for the true nature of the sun, being
analogous to the white light, contains the seeds of all the tone and color
potencies which it manifests.
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The accuracy of the above arrangement is attested by two striking facts: (1)
the three fundamental notes of the musical scale--the first, the third, and the
fifth--correspond with the three primary colors--red, yellow, and blue; (2)
the seventh, and least perfect, note of the musical scale corresponds with
purple, the least perfect tone of the color scale.
When the colors are related to the twelve signs of the zodiac, they are
arranged as the spokes of a wheel. To Aries is assigned pure red; to Taurus,
red-orange; to Gemini, pure orange; to Cancer, orange-yellow; to Leo, pure
yellow; to Virgo, yellow-green; to Libra, pure green; to Scorpio, green-blue;
to Sagittarius, pure blue; to Capricorn, blue-violet; to Aquarius, pure violet;
and to Pisces, violet-red.
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This arrangement of the colors of the spectrum and the musical notes of the
octave necessitates a different grouping of the planets in order to preserve
their proper tone and color analogies. Thus do becomes Mars; re, the sun;
mi, Mercury; fa, Saturn; sol, Jupiter; la, Venus; si (ti) the moon. (See The E.
S. Instructions.)
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immediately above it. Fludd emphasizes the fact that as the elements ascend in series of two and a half
tones, the diatessaron is the dominating harmonic interval of the elements.
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THE creatures inhabiting the water, air, and earth were held in veneration by
all races of antiquity. Realizing that visible bodies are only symbols of
invisible forces, the ancients worshiped the Divine Power through the lower
kingdoms of Nature, because those less evolved and more simply constituted
creatures responded most readily to the creative impulses of the gods. The
sages of old studied living things to a point of realization that God is most
perfectly understood through a knowledge of His supreme handiwork--
animate and inanimate Nature.
The early philosophers and scientists, realizing that all life has its origin in
water, chose the fish as the symbol of the life germ. The fact that fishes are
most prolific makes the simile still more apt. While the early priests may not
have possessed the instruments necessary to analyze the spermatozoon, they
concluded by deduction that it resembled a fish.
Fishes were sacred to the Greeks and Romans, being connected with the
worship of Aphrodite (Venus). An interesting survival of pagan ritualism is
found in the custom of eating fish on Friday. Freya, in whose honor the day
was named, was the Scandinavian Venus, and this day was sacred among
many nations to the goddess of beauty and fecundity. This analogy further
links the fish with the procreative mystery. Friday is also sacred to the
followers of the Prophet Mohammed.
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The word nun means both fish and growth, and as Inman says: "The Jews
were led to victory by the Son of the Fish whose other names were Joshua
and Jesus (the Savior). Nun is still the name of a female devotee" of the
Christian faith. Among early Christians three fishes were used to symbolize
the Trinity, and the fish is also one of the eight sacred symbols of the great
Buddha. It is also significant that the dolphin should be sacred to both
Apollo (the Solar Savior) and Neptune. It was believed that this fish carried
shipwrecked sailors to heaven on its back. The dolphin was accepted by the
early Christians as an emblem of Christ, because the pagans had viewed this
beautiful creature as a friend and benefactor of man. The heir to the throne
of France, the Dauphin, may have secured his title from this ancient pagan
symbol of the divine preservative power. The first advocates of Christianity
likened converts to fishes, who at the time of baptism "returned again into
the sea of Christ."
Primitive peoples believed the sea and land were inhabited by strange
creatures, and early books on zoology contain curious illustrations of
composite beasts, reptiles, and fishes, which did not exist at the time the
medival authors compiled these voluminous books. In the ancient initiatory
rituals of the Persian, Greek, and Egyptian Mysteries the priests disguised
themselves as composite creatures, thereby symbolizing different aspects of
human consciousness. They used birds and reptiles as emblems of their
various deities, often creating forms of grotesque appearance and assigning
to them imaginary traits, habits, and places of domicile, all of which were
symbolic of certain spiritual and transcendental truths thus concealed from
the profane. The phnix made its nest of incense and flames. The unicorn
had the body of a horse, the feet of an elephant, and the tail of a wild boar.
The upper half of the centaur's body was human and the lower half equine.
The pelican of the Hermetists fed its young from its own breast, and to this
bird were assigned other mysterious attributes which could have been true
only allegorically.
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invisible worlds. This is a point which nearly all writers on the subject of
medival monsters seem to have overlooked. (See Vlyssis Aldrovandi's
Monstrorum Historia, 1642, and Physica Curiosa, by P. Gaspare Schotto,
1697.)
There are also legends to the effect that long before the appearance of human
beings there existed a race or species of composite creatures which was
destroyed by the gods. The temples of antiquity preserved their own
historical records and possessed information concerning the prehistoric
world that has never been revealed to the uninitiated. According to these
records, the human race evolved from a species of creature that partook
somewhat of the nature of an amphibian, for at that time primitive man had
the gills of a fish and was partly covered with scales. To a limited degree,
the human embryo demonstrates the possibility of such a condition. As a
result of the theory of man's origin in water, the fish was looked upon as the
progenitor of the human family. This gave rise to the ichthyolatry of the
Chaldeans, Phnicians, and Brahmins. The American Indians believe that
the waters of lakes, rivers, and oceans are inhabited by a mysterious people,
the "Water Indians."
The fish has been used as an emblem of damnation; but among the Chinese
it typified contentment and good fortune, and fishes appear on many of their
coins. When Typhon, or Set, the Egyptian evil genius, had divided the body
of the god Osiris into fourteen parts, he cast one part into the river Nile,
where, according to Plutarch, it was devoured by three fishes--the lepidotus
(probably the lepidosiren), the phagrus, and the oxyrynchus (a form of pike).
For this reason the Egyptians would not eat the flesh of these fishes,
believing that to do so would be to devour the body of their god. When used
as a symbol of evil, the fish represented the earth (man's lower nature) and
the tomb (the sepulcher of the Mysteries). Thus was Jonah three days in the
belly of the "great fish," as Christ was three days in the tomb.
Several early church fathers believed that the "whale" which swallowed
Jonah was the symbol of God the Father, who, when the hapless prophet was
thrown overboard, accepted Jonah into His own nature until a place of safety
was reached. The story of Jonah is really a legend of initiation into the
Mysteries, and the "great fish" represents the darkness of ignorance which
engulfs man when he is thrown over the side of the ship (is born) into the sea
(life). The custom of building ships in the form of fishes or birds, common
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in ancient times, could give rise to the story, and mayhap Jonah was merely
picked up by
another vessel and carried into port, the pattern of the ship causing it to be
called a "great fish." ("Veritatis simplex oratio est!") More probably the
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"whale" of Jonah is based upon the pagan mythological creature,
hippocampus, part horse and part dolphin, for the early Christian statues and
carvings show the composite creature and not a true whale.
The Gnostics divided the nature of the Christian Redeemer into two parts--
the one Jesus, a mortal man; the other, Christos, a personification of Nous,
the principle of Cosmic Mind. Nous, the greater, was for the period of three
years (from baptism to crucifixion) using the fleshly garment of the mortal
man (Jesus). In order to illustrate this point and still conceal it from the
ignorant, many strange, and often repulsive, creatures were used whose
rough exteriors concealed magnificent organisms. Kenealy, in his notes on
the Book of Enoch, observes: "Why the caterpillar was a symbol of the
Messiah is evident; because, under a lowly, creeping, and wholly terrestrial
aspect, he conceals the beautiful butterfly-form, with its radiant wings,
emulating in its varied colors the Rainbow, the Serpent, the Salmon, the
Scarab, the Peacock, and the dying Dolphin * * *.
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INSECTS
Insects of all kinds were also considered emblematic of the Nature spirits
and dmons, for both were believed to inhabit the atmosphere. Medival
drawings showing magicians in the act of invoking spirits, often portray the
mysterious powers of the other world, which the conjurer has exorcised, as
appearing to him in composite part-insect forms. The early philosophers
apparently held the opinion that the disease which swept through
communities in the form of plagues were actually living creatures, but
instead of considering a number of tiny germs they viewed the entire plague
as one individuality and gave it a hideous shape to symbolize its
destructiveness. The fact that plagues came in the air caused an insect or a
bird to be used as their symbol.
The habits of the insects were carefully studied. Therefore the ant was
looked upon as emblematic of industry and foresight, as it stored up supplies
for the winter and also had strength to move objects many times its own
weight. The locusts which swept down in clouds, and in some parts of Africa
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and Asia obscured the sun and destroyed every green thing, were considered
fit emblems of passion, disease, hate, and strife; for these emotions destroy
all that is good in the soul of man and leave a barren desert behind them. In
the folklore of various nations, certain insects are given special significance,
but the ones which have received world-wide veneration and consideration
ate the scarab, the king of the insect kingdom; the scorpion, the great
betrayer; the butterfly, the emblem of metamorphosis; and the bee, the
symbol of industry.
The Egyptian scarab is one of the most remarkable symbolic figures ever
conceived by the mind of man. It was evolved by the erudition of the
priestcraft from a simple insect which, because of its peculiar habits and
appearance, properly symbolized the strength of the body, the resurrection of
the soul, and the Eternal and Incomprehensible Creator in His aspect as Lord
of the Sun. E. A. Wallis Budge says, in effect, of the worship of the scarab
by the Egyptians:
"Yet another view held in primitive times was that the sky was a vast
meadow over which a huge beetle crawled, pushing the disk of the sun
before him. This beetle was the Sky-god, and, arguing from the example of
the beetle (Scarabus sacer), which was observed to roll along with its hind
legs a ball that was believed to contain its eggs, the early Egyptians thought
that the ball of the Sky-god contained his egg and that the sun was his
offspring. Thanks, however, to the investigations of the eminent
entomologist, Monsieur J. H. Fabre, we now know that the ball which the
Scarabus sacer rolls along contains not its eggs, but dung that is to serve
as food for its egg, which it lays in a carefully prepared place."
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nations bear a striking resemblance to the initiatory ceremonies of their
Mysteries.
Ra, the god of the sun, had three important aspects. As the Creator of the
universe he was symbolized by the head of a scarab and was called Khepera,
which signified the resurrection of the soul and a new life at the end of the
mortal span. The mummy cases of the Egyptian dead were nearly always
ornamented with scarabs. Usually one of these beetles, with outspread
wings, was painted on the mummy case directly over the breast of the dead.
The finding of such great numbers of small stone scarabs indicates that they
were a favorite article of adornment among the Egyptians. Because of its
relationship to the sun, the scarab symbolized the divine part of man's
nature. The fact that its beautiful wings were concealed under its glossy shell
typified the winged soul of man hidden within its earthly sheath. The
Egyptian soldiers were given the scarab as their special symbol because the
ancients believed that these creatures were all of the male sex and
consequently appropriate emblems of virility, strength, and courage.
Plutarch noted the fact that the scarab rolled its peculiar ball of dung
backwards, while the insect itself faced the opposite direction. This made it
an especially fitting symbol for the sun, because this orb (according to
Egyptian astronomy) was rolling from west to east, although apparently
moving in the opposite direction. An Egyptian allegory states that the
sunrise is caused by the scarab unfolding
THE MANTICHORA
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in a series of spikes and stings, thorny and scorpionlike, and a voice which sounded like the blare of
trumpets. This synthetic quadruped ambled into medival works on natural history, but, though seriously
considered, had never been seen, because it inhabited inaccessible regions and consequently was difficult
to locate.
its wings, which stretch out as glorious colors on each side of its body--the
solar globe--and that when it folds its wings under its dark shell at sunset,
night follows. Khepera, the scarab-headed aspect of Ra, is often symbolized
riding through the sea of the sky in a wonderful ship called the Boat of the
Sun.
The scorpion stings with its tail, and for this reason it has been called a
backbiter, a false and deceitful thing. Calmet, in his Dictionary of the Bible,
declares the scorpion to be a fit emblem of the wicked and the symbol of
persecution. The dry winds of Egypt are said to be produced by Typhon,
who imparts to the sand the blistering heat of the infernal world and the sting
of the scorpion. This insect was also the symbol of the spinal fire which,
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according to the Egyptian Mysteries, destroyed man when it was permitted
to gather at the base of his spine (the tail of the scorpion).The red star
Antares in the back of the celestial scorpion was considered the worst light
in the heavens. Kalb al Akrab, or the heart of the scorpion, was called by the
ancients the lieutenant or deputy of Mars. (See footnote to Ptolemy's
Tetrabiblos.) Antares was believed to impair the eyesight, often causing
blindness if it rose over the horizon when a child was born. This may refer
again to the sand storm, which was capable of blinding unwary travelers.
The scorpion was also the symbol of wisdom, for the fire which it controlled
was capable of illuminating as well as consuming. Initiation into the Greater
Mysteries among the pagans was said to take place only in the sign of the
scorpion. In the papyrus of Ani (The Book of the Dead), the deceased likens
his soul to a scorpion, saying: "I am a swallow, I am that scorpion, the
daughter of Ra!" Elizabeth Goldsmith, in her treatise on Sex Symbolism,
states that the scorpions were a "symbol of Selk, the Egyptian goddess of
writing, and also [were] revered by the Babylonians and Assyrians as
guardians of the gateway of the sun. Seven scorpions were said to have
accompanied Isis when she searched for the remains of Osiris scattered by
Set" (Typhon).
In his Chaldean Account of the Genesis, George Smith, copying from the
cuneiform cylinders, in describing the wanderings of the hero Izdubar
(Nimrod), throws some light on the scorpion god who guards the sun. The
tablet which he translated is not perfect, but the meaning is fairly clear: "* *
* who each day guard the rising sun. Their crown was at the lattice of
heaven, under hell their feet were placed [the spinal column]. The scorpion
man guarded the gate, burning with terribleness, their appearance was like
death, the might of his fear shook the forest. At the rising of the sun and the
setting of the sun, they guarded the sun; Izdubar saw them and fear and
terror came into his face." Among the early Latins there was a machine of
war called the scorpion. It was used for firing arrows and probably obtained
its name from a long beam, resembling a scorpion's tail, which flew up to
hurl the arrows. The missiles discharged by this machine were also called
scorpions.
The butterfly (under the name of Psyche, a beautiful maiden with wings of
opalescent light) symbolizes the human soul because of the stages it passes
through in order to unfold its power of flight. The three divisions through
which the butterfly passes in its unfoldment resemble closely the three
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degrees of the Mystery School, which degrees are regarded as
consummating the unfoldment of man by giving him emblematic wings by
which he may soar to the skies. Unregenerate man, ignorant and helpless, is
symbolized by the stage between ovum and larva; the disciple, seeking truth
and dwelling in medication, by the second stage, from larva to pupa, at
which time the insect enters its chrysalis (the tomb of the Mysteries); the
third stage, from pupa to imago (wherein the perfect butterfly comes forth),
typifies the unfolded enlightened soul of the initiate rising from the tomb of
his baser nature.
Night moths typify the secret wisdom, because they are hard to discover and
are concealed by the darkness (ignorance). Some are emblems of death, as
Acherontia atropos, the death's-head moth, which has a marking on its body
somewhat like a human skull. The death-watch beetle, which was believed
to give warning of approaching death by a peculiar ticking sound, is another
instance of insects involved in human affairs.
Certain plants, minerals, and animals have been sacred among all the nations
of the earth because of their peculiar sensitiveness to the astral fire--a
mysterious agency in Nature which the scientific world has contacted
through its manifestations as electricity and magnetism. Lodestone and
radium in the mineral world and various parasitic growths in the plant
kingdom are strangely susceptible to this cosmic electric fire, or universal
life force. The magicians of the Middle Ages surrounded themselves with
such creatures as bats, spiders, cats, snakes, and monkeys, because they were
able to appropriate the life forces of these species and use them to the
attainment of their own ends. Some ancient schools of wisdom taught that all
poisonous insects and reptiles are germinated out of the evil nature of man,
and that when intelligent human beings no longer breed hate in their own
souls there will be no more ferocious animals, loathsome diseases, or
poisonous plants and insects.
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Among the American Indians is the legend of a "Spider Man," whose web
connected the heaven worlds with the earth. The secret schools of India
symbolize certain of the gods who labored with the universe during its
making as connecting the realms of light with those of darkness by means of
webs. Therefore the builders of the cosmic system who held the embryonic
universe together with threads of invisible force were sometimes referred to
as the Spider Gods and their ruler was designated The Great Spider.
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"demon." Naudus, in defending Virgil from accusations of sorcery,
attempted a wholesale denial of the miracles supposedly performed by Virgil
and produced enough evidence to convict the poet on all counts. Among
other strange fears, Virgil fashioned a fly out of brass, and after certain
mysterious ceremonies, placed it over one of the gates of Naples. As a result,
no flies entered the city for more than eight years.
REPTILES
The serpent was chosen as the head of the reptilian family. Serpent worship
in some form has permeated nearly all parts of the
THE FLEUR-DE-LIS
The bee was used as, a symbol of royalty by the immortal Charlemagne, and it is probable that the fleur-
de-lis, or lily of France, is merely a conventionalized bee and not a flower. There is an ancient Greek
legend to the effect that the nine Muses occasionally assumed the form of bees.
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earth. The serpent mounds of the American Indian; the carved-stone snakes
of Central and South America; the hooded cobras of India; Python, the great
snake o the Greeks; the sacred serpents of the Druids; the Midgard snake of
Scandinavia; the Nagas of Burma, Siam, and Cambodia; the brazen serpent
of the Jews; the mystic serpent of Orpheus; the snakes at the oracle; of
Delphi twining themselves around the tripod upon which the Pythian
priestess sat, the tripod itself being in the form of twisted serpents; the
sacred serpents preserved in the Egyptian temples; the Urus coiled upon
the foreheads of the Pharaohs and priests;--all these bear witness to the
universal veneration in which the snake was held. In the ancient Mysteries
the serpent entwining a staff was the symbol of the physician. The serpent-
wound staff of Hermes remains the emblem of the medical profession.
Among nearly all these ancient peoples the serpent was accepted as the
symbol of wisdom or salvation. The antipathy which Christendom feels
towards the snake is based upon the little-understood allegory of the Garden
of Eden.
The serpent is true to the principle of wisdom, for it tempts man to the
knowledge of himself. Therefore the knowledge of self resulted from man's
disobedience to the Demiurgus, Jehovah. How the serpent came to be in the
garden of the Lord after God had declared that all creatures which He had
made during the six days of creation were good has not been satisfactorily
answered by the interpreters of Scripture. The tree that grows in the midst of
the garden is the spinal fire; the knowledge of the use of that spinal fire is
the gift of the great serpent. Notwithstanding statements to the contrary, the
serpent is the symbol and prototype of the Universal Savior, who redeems
the worlds by giving creation the knowledge of itself and the realization of
good and evil. If this be not so, why did Moses raise a brazen serpent upon a
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cross in the wilderness that all who looked upon it might be saved from the
sting of the lesser snakes? Was not the brazen serpent a prophecy of the
crucified Man to come? If the serpent be only a thing of evil, why did Christ
instruct His disciples to be as wise as serpents?
The accepted theory that the serpent is evil cannot be substantiated. It has
long been viewed as the emblem of immortality. It is the symbol of
reincarnation, or metempsychosis, because it annually sheds its skin,
reappearing, as it were, in a new body. There is an ancient superstition to the
effect that snakes never die except by violence and that, if uninjured, they
would live forever. It was also believed that snakes swallowed themselves,
and this resulted in their being considered emblematic of the Supreme
Creator, who periodically reabsorbed His universe back into Himself.
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considered analogous to the divinely inspired power of the snake. There is
no doubt that the title "Winged Serpents" (the Seraphim?) was given to one
of the invisible hierarchies that labored with the earth during its early
formation.
There is a legend that in the beginning of the world winged serpents reigned
upon the earth. These were probably the demigods which antedate the
historical civilization of every nation. The symbolic relationship between the
sun and the serpent found literal witness in the fact that life remains in the
snake until sunset, even though it be cut into a dozen parts. The Hopi Indians
consider the serpent to be in close communication with the Earth Spirit.
Therefore, at the time of their annual snake dance they send their prayers to
the Earth Spirit by first specially sanctifying large numbers of these reptiles
and then liberating them to return to the earth with the prayers of the tribe.
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wine poured down their throats. Their ears were ornamented with rings of
gold and precious stones, and their forefeet adorned with bracelets."
The Egyptian sphinx, the Greek centaur, and the Assyrian man-bull have
much in common. All are composite creatures combining human and animal
members; in the Mysteries all signify the composite nature of man and
subtly refer to the hierarchies of celestial beings that have charge of the
destiny of mankind. These hierarchies are the twelve holy animals now
known as constellations--star groups which are merely symbols of
impersonal spiritual impulses. Chiron, the centaur, teaching the sons of men,
symbolizes the intelligences of the constellation of Sagittarius, who were the
custodians of the secret doctrine while (geocentrically) the sun was passing
through the sign of Gemini. The five-footed Assyrian man-bull with the
wings of an eagle and the head of a man is a reminder that the invisible
nature of man has the wings of a god, the head of a man, and the body of a
beast. The same concept was expressed through the sphinx--that armed
guardian of the Mysteries who, crouching at the gate of the temple, denied
entrance to the profane. Thus placed between man and his divine
possibilities, the sphinx also represented the secret doctrine itself. Children's
fairy stories abound with descriptions of symbolic monsters, for nearly all
such tales are based upon the ancient mystic folklore.
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THE URUS
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Ahura-Mazda and Ahriman--contending for the Egg of the Earth, which each trying to wrench from the
teeth of the other.
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Gravitation, which is a law in the material world, is the impulse toward the
center of materiality; levitation, which is a law in the spiritual world, is the
impulse toward the center of spirituality. Seeming to be capable of
neutralizing the effect of gravity, the bird was said to partake of a nature
superior to other terrestrial creation; and its feathers, because of their
sustaining power, came to be accepted as symbols of divinity, courage, and
accomplishment. A notable example is the dignity attached to eagle feathers
by the American Indians, among whom they are insignia of merit. Angels
have been invested with wings because, like birds, they were considered to
be the intermediaries between the gods and men and to inhabit the air or
middle kingdom betwixt heaven and earth. As the dome of the heavens was
likened to a skull in the Gothic Mysteries, so the birds which flew across the
sky were regarded as thoughts of the Deity. For this reason Odin's two
messenger ravens were called Hugin and Munin--thought and memory.
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Among the Greeks and Romans, the eagle was the appointed bird of Jupiter
and consequently signified the swiftly moving forces of the Demiurgus;
hence it was looked upon as the mundane lord of the birds, in
contradistinction to the phnix, which was symbolic of the celestial ruler.
The eagle typified the sun in its material phase and also the immutable
Demiurgic law beneath which all mortal creatures must bend. The eagle was
also the Hermetic symbol of sulphur, and signified the mysterious fire of
Scorpio--the most profoundly significant sign of the zodiac and the Gate of
the Great Mystery. Being one of the three symbols of Scorpio, the eagle, like
the Goat of Mendes, was an emblem of the theurgic art and the secret
processes by which the infernal fire of the scorpion was transmuted into the
spiritual light-fire of the gods.
Both the peacock and the ibis were objects of veneration because they
destroyed the poisonous reptiles which were popularly regarded as the
emissaries of the infernal gods. Because of the myriad of eyes in its tail
feathers the peacock was accepted as the symbol of wisdom, and on account
of its general appearance it was often confused with the fabled phnix of the
Mysteries. There is a curious belief that the flesh of the peacock will not
putrefy even though kept for a considerable time. As an outgrowth of this
belief the peacock became the emblem of immortality, because the spiritual
nature of man--like the flesh of this bird--is incorruptible.
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The Egyptians paid divine honors to the ibis and it was a cardinal crime to
kill one, even by accident. It was asserted that the ibis could live only in
Egypt and that if transported to a foreign country it would die of grief. The
Egyptians declared this bird to be the preserver of crops and especially
worthy of veneration because it drove out the winged serpents of Libya
which the wind blew into Egypt. The ibis was sacred to Thoth, and when its
head and neck were tucked under its wing its body closely resembled a
human heart. (See Montfaucon's Antiquities.) The black and white ibis was
sacred to the moon; but all forms were revered because they destroyed
crocodile eggs, the crocodile being a symbol of the detested Typhon.
Nocturnal birds were appropriate symbols of both sorcery and the secret
divine sciences: sorcery because black magic cannot function in the light of
truth (day) and is powerful only when surrounded by ignorance (night); and
the divine sciences because those possessing the arcana are able to see
through the darkness of ignorance and materiality. Owls and bats were
consequently often associated with either witchcraft or wisdom. The goose
was an emblem of the first primitive substance or condition from which and
within which the worlds were fashioned. In the Mysteries, the universe was
likened to an egg which the Cosmic Goose had laid in space. Because of its
blackness the crow was the symbol of chaos or the chaotic darkness
preceding the light of creation. The grace and purity of the swan were
emblematic of the spiritual grace and purity of the initiate. This bird also
represented the Mysteries which unfolded these qualities in humanity. This
explains the allegories of the gods (the secret wisdom) incarnating in the
body of a swan (the initiate).
Being scavengers, the vulture, the buzzard, and the condor signified that
form of divine power which by disposing of refuse and other matter
dangerous to the life and health of humanity cleanses and purifies the lower
spheres. These birds were therefore adopted as symbols of the disintegrative
processes which accomplish good while apparently destroying, and by some
religions have been mistakenly regarded as evil. Birds such as the parrot and
raven were accorded veneration because, being able to mimic the human
voice, they were looked upon as links between the human and animal
kingdoms.
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Fabricator of the world. As the lower worlds were brought into existence
through a generative process, so the dove has been associated with those
deities identified with the procreative functions. It is sacred to Astarte,
Cybele, Isis, Venus, Juno, Mylitta, and Aphrodite. On account of its
gentleness and devotion to its young, the dove was looked upon as the
embodiment of the maternal instinct. The dove is also an emblem of
wisdom, for it represents the power and order by which the lower worlds are
maintained. It has long been accepted as a messenger of the divine will, and
signifies the activity of God.
The name dove has been given to oracles and to prophets. "The true name of
the dove was Ionah or Inas; it was a very sacred emblem, and atone time
almost universally received; it was adopted by the Hebrews; and the mystic
Dove was regarded as a symbol
from the days of Noah by all those who were of the Church of God. The
prophet sent to Ninevah as God's messenger was called Jonah or the Dove;
our Lord's forerunner, the Baptist, was called in Greek by the name of
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Ioannes; and so was the Apostle of Love, the author Of the fourth Gospel
and of the Apocalypse, named Ioannes." (Bryant's Analysis of Ancient
Mythology.)
THE PHNIX
Clement, one of the ante-Nican Fathers, describes, in the first century after
Christ, the peculiar nature and habits of the phnix, in this wise: "There is a
certain bird which is called a Phnix. This is the only one of its kind and
lives five hundred years. And when the time of its dissolution draws near
that it must die, it builds itself a nest of frankincense, and myrrh, and other
spices, into which, when the time is fulfilled, it enters and dies. But as the
flesh decays a certain kind of worm is produced, which, being nourished by
the juices of the dead bird, brings forth feathers. Then, when it has acquired
strength, it takes up that nest in which are the bones of its parent, and
bearing these it passes from the land of Arabia into Egypt, to the city called
Heliopolis. And, in open day, flying in the sight of all men, it places them on
the altar of the sun, and having done this, hastens back to its former abode.
The priests then inspect the registers of the dates, and find that it has
returned exactly as the five hundredth year was completed."
Although admitting that he had not seen the phnix bird (there being only
one alive at a time), Herodotus amplifies a bit the description given by
Clement: "They tell a story of what this bird does which does not seem to
me to be credible: that he comes all the way from Arabia, and brings the
parent bird, all plastered with myrrh, to the temple of the sun, and there
buries the body. In order to bring him, they say, he first forms a ball of
myrrh as big as he finds that he can carry; then he hollows out the ball, and
puts his parent inside; after which he covers over the opening with fresh
myrrh, and the ball is then of exactly the same weight as at first; so he brings
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it to Egypt, plastered over as I have said, and deposits it in the temple of the
sun. Such is the story they tell of the doings of this bird."
Both Herodotus and Pliny noted the general resemblance in shape between
the phnix and the eagle, a point which the reader should carefully consider,
for it is reasonably certain that the modern Masonic eagle was originally a
phnix. The body of the phnix is described as having been covered with
glossy purple feathers, while its long tail feathers were alternately blue and
red. Its head was light in color and about its neck was a circlet of golden
plumage. At the back of its head the phnix had a peculiar tuft of feathers, a
fact quite evident, although it has been overlooked by most writers and
symbolists.
The phnix was regarded as sacred to the sun, and the length of its life (500
to 1000 years) was taken as a standard for measuring the motion of the
heavenly bodies and also the cycles of time used in the Mysteries to
designate the periods of existence. The diet of the bird was unknown. Some
writers declare that it subsisted upon the atmosphere; others that it ate at rare
intervals but never in the presence of man. Modern Masons should realize
the special Masonic significance of the phnix, for the bird is described as
using sprigs of acacia in the manufacture of its nest.
The phnix (which is the mythological Persian roc) is also the name of a
Southern constellation, and therefore it has both an astronomical and an
astrological significance. In all probability, the phnix was the swan of the
Greeks, the eagle of the Romans, and the peacock of the Far East. To the
ancient mystics the phnix was a most appropriate symbol of the
immortality of the human soul, for just as the phnix was reborn out of its
own dead self seven times seven, so again and again the spiritual nature of
man rises triumphant from his dead physical body.
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for just as physical birth gives man consciousness in the physical world, so
the neophyte, after nine degrees in the womb of the Mysteries, was born into
a consciousness of the Spiritual world. This is the mystery of initiation to
which Christ referred when he said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God" (John iii. 3). The phnix is a fitting symbol of this
spiritual truth.
European mysticism was not dead at the time the United States of America
was founded. The hand of the Mysteries controlled in the establishment of
the new government, for the signature of the Mysteries may still be seen on
the Great Seal of the United States of America. Careful analysis of the seal
discloses a mass of occult and Masonic symbols, chief among them the so-
called American eagle--a bird which Benjamin Franklin declared unworthy
to be chosen as the emblem of a great, powerful, and progressive people.
Here again only the student of symbolism can see through the subterfuge
and realize that the American eagle upon the Great Seal is but a
conventionalized phnix, a fact plainly discernible from an examination of
the original seal. In his sketch of The History of the Seal of the United States,
Gaillard Hunt unwittingly brings forward much material to substantiate the
belief that the original seal carried the Phnix bird on its obverse surface
and the Great Pyramid of Gizeh upon its reverse surface. In a colored sketch
submitted as a design for the Great Seal by William Barton in 1782, an
actual phnix appears sitting upon a nest of flames. This itself demonstrates
a tendency towards the use of this emblematic bird.
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AN EGYPTIAN PHNIX
If any one doubts the presence of Masonic and occult influences at the time
the Great Seal was designed, he should give due consideration to the
comments of Professor Charles Eliot Norton of Harvard, who wrote
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concerning the unfinished pyramid and the All-Seeing Eye which adorned
the reverse of the seal, as follows: "The device adopted by Congress is
practically incapable of effective treatment; it can hardly (however
artistically treated by the designer) look otherwise than as a dull emblem of a
Masonic fraternity." (The History of the Seal of the United States.)
The eagles of Napoleon and Csar and the zodiacal eagle of Scorpio are
really phnixes, for the latter bird--not the eagle--is the symbol of spiritual
victory and achievement. Masonry will be in a position to solve many of the
secrets of its esoteric doctrine when it realizes that both its single- and
double-headed eagles are phnixes, and that to all initiates and philosophers
the phnix is the symbol of the transmutation and regeneration of the
creative energy--commonly called the accomplishment of the Great Work.
The double-headed phnix is the prototype of an androgynous man, for
according to the secret teachings there will come a time when the human
body will have two spinal cords, by means of which vibratory equilibrium
will be maintained in the body.
Not only were many of the founders of the United States Government
Masons, but they received aid from a secret and august body existing in
Europe, which helped them to establish this country for a peculiar and
particular purpose known only to the initiated few. The Great Seal is the
signature of this exalted body--unseen and for the most part unknown--and
the unfinished pyramid upon its reverse side is a trestleboard setting forth
symbolically the task to the accomplishment of which the United States
Government was dedicated from the day of its inception.
ANIMALS
The lion is the king of the animal family and, like the head of each kingdom,
is sacred to the sun, whose rays are symbolized by the lion's shaggy mane.
The allegories perpetuated by the Mysteries (such as the one to the effect
that the lion opens the secret book) signify that the solar power opens the
seed pods, releasing the spiritual life within. There was also a curious belief
among the ancients that the lion sleeps with his eyes open, and for this
reason the animal was chosen as a symbol of vigilance. The figure of a lion
placed on either side of doors and gateways is an emblem of divine
guardianship. King Solomon was often symbolized as a lion. For ages the
feline family has been regarded with peculiar veneration. In several of the
Mysteries--most notably the Egyptian--the priests wore the skins of lions,
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tigers, panthers, pumas, or leopards. Hercules and Samson (both solar
symbols) slew the lion of the constellation of Leo and robed themselves in
his skin, thus signifying that they represented the sun itself when at the
summit of the celestial arch.
At Bubastis in Egypt was the temple of the famous goddess Bast, the cat
deity of the Ptolemies. The Egyptians paid homage to the cat, especially
when its fur was of three shades or its eyes of different colors. To the priests
the cat was symbolic of the magnetic forces of Nature, and they surrounded
themselves with these animals for the sake of the astral fire which emanated
from their bodies. The cat was also a symbol of eternity, for when it sleeps it
curls up into a ball with its head and tail touching. Among the Greeks and
Latins the cat was sacred to the goddess Diana. The Buddhists of India
invested the cat with special significance, but for a different reason. The cat
was the only animal absent at the death of the great Buddha, because it had
stopped on the way to chase a mouse. That the symbol of the lower astral
forces should not be present at the liberation of the Buddha is significant.
Regarding the cat, Herodotus says: "Whenever a fire breaks out, cats are
agitated with a kind of divine motion, which they that keep them observe,
neglecting the fire: The cats, however, in spite of their care, break from
them, leaping even over the heads of their keepers to throw themselves into
the fire. The Egyptians then make great mourning for their death. If a cat
dies a natural death in a house, all they of that house shave their eyebrows: If
a dog, they shave the head and all the body. They used to embalm their dead
cats, and carry them to Bubastis to be interred in a sacred house.
(Montfaucon's Antiquities.)
The most important of all symbolic animals was the Apis, or Egyptian bull
of Memphis, which was regarded as the sacred vehicle for the transmigration
of the soul of the god Osiris. It was declared that the Apis was conceived by
a bolt of lightning, and the ceremony attendant upon its selection and
consecration was one of the most impressive in Egyptian ritualism. The Apis
had to be marked in a certain manner. Herodotus states that the bull must be
black with a square white spot on his forehead, the form of an eagle
(probably a vulture) on his back, a beetle upon (under) his tongue, and the
hair of his tail lying two ways. Other writers declare that the sacred bull was
marked with twenty-nine sacred symbols, his body was spotted, and upon
his right side was a white mark in the form of a crescent. After its
sanctification the Apis was kept in a stable adjacent to the temple and led in
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processionals through the streets of the city upon certain solemn occasions.
It was a popular belief among the Egyptians that any child upon whom the
bull breathed would become illustrious. After reaching a certain age (twenty-
five years) the Apis was taken either to the river Nile or to a sacred fountain
(authorities differ on this point) and drowned, amidst the lamentations of the
populace. The mourning and wailing for his death continued until the new
Apis was found, when it was declared that Osiris had reincarnated,
whereupon rejoicing took the place of grief.
The worship of the bull was not confined to Egypt, but was prevalent in
many nations of the ancient world. In India, Nandi--the sacred white bull of
Siva--is still the object of much veneration; and both the Persians and the
Jews accepted the bull as an important religious symbol. The Assyrians,
Phnicians, Chaldeans, and even the Greeks reverenced this animal, and
Jupiter turned himself into a white bull to abduct Europa. The bull was a
powerful phallic emblem signifying the paternal creative power of the
Demiurgus. At his death he was frequently mummified and buried with the
pomp and dignity of a god in a specially prepared sarcophagus. Excavations
in the Serapeum at Memphis have uncovered the tombs of more than sixty of
these sacred animals.
As the sign rising over the horizon at the vernal equinox constitutes the
starry body for the annual incarnation of the sun, the bull not only was the
celestial symbol of the Solar Man but, because the vernal equinox took place
in the constellation of Taurus, was called the breaker or opener of the year.
For this reason in astronomical symbolism the bull is often shown breaking
the annular egg with his horns. The Apis further signifies that the God-Mind
is incarnated in the body of a beast and therefore that the physical beast form
is the sacred vehicle of divinity. Man's lower personality is the Apis in
which Osiris incarnates. The result of the combination is the creation of Sor-
Apis (Serapis)-the material soul as ruler of the irrational material body and
involved therein. After a certain period (which is determined by the square
of five, or twenty-five years), the body of the Apis is destroyed and the soul
liberated by the water which drowns the material life. This was indicative of
the washing away of the material nature by the baptismal waters of divine
light and truth. The drowning of the Apis is the symbol of death; the
resurrection of Osiris in the new bull is the symbol of eternal renovation.
The white bull was also symbolically sacred as the appointed emblem of the
initiates, signifying the spiritualized material bodies of both man and Nature.
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When the vernal equinox no longer occurred in the sign of Taurus, the Sun
God incarnated in the constellation of Aries and the ram then became the
vehicle of the solar power. Thus the sun rising in the sign of the Celestial
Lamb triumphs over the symbolic serpent of darkness. The lamb is a familiar
emblem of purity because of its gentleness and the whiteness of its wool. In
many of the pagan Mysteries it signified the Universal Savior, and in
Christianity it is the favorite symbol of Christ. Early church paintings show a
lamb standing upon a little hill, and from its feet pour four streams of living
water signifying the four Gospels. The blood of the lamb is the solar life
pouring into the world through the sign of Aries.
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certain sense is not only the composite figure of Osiris and the lower world in which he is incarnated but
also of the Mysteries, which are the terrestrial bodies containing the secret teachings, or the spiritual soul.
depiction of the Sun Man who is the scapegoat of the world and upon whom
are cast the sins of the twelve houses (tribes) of the celestial universe. Truth
is the Divine Lamb worshiped throughout pagandom and slain for the sins of
the world, and since the dawn of time the Savior Gods of all religions have
been personifications of this Truth. The Golden Fleece sought by Jason and
his Argonauts is the Celestial Lamb--the spiritual and intellectual sun. The
secret doctrine is also typified by the Golden Fleece--the wool of the Divine
Life, the rays of the Sun of Truth. Suidas declares the Golden Fleece to have
been in reality a book, written upon skin, which contained the formul for
the production of gold by means of chemistry. The Mysteries were
institutions erected for the transmutation of base ignorance into precious
illumination. The dragon of ignorance was the terrible creature set to guard
the Golden Fleece, and represents the darkness of the old year which battles
with the sun at the time of its equinoctial passage.
Deer were sacred in the Bacchic Mysteries of the Greeks; the Bacchantes
were often clothed in fawnskins. Deer were associated with the worship of
the moon goddess and the Bacchic orgies were usually conducted at night.
The grace and speed of this animal caused it to be accepted as the proper
symbol of esthetic abandon. Deer were objects of veneration with many
nations. In Japan, herds of them are still maintained in connection with the
temples.
The wolf is usually associated with the principle of evil, because of the
mournful discordance of its howl and the viciousness of its nature. In
Scandinavian mythology the Fenris Wolf was one of the sons of Loki, the
infernal god of the fires. With the temple of Asgard in flames about them,
the gods under the command of Odin fought their last great battle against the
chaotic forces of evil. With frothing jowls the Fenris Wolf devoured Odin,
the Father of the Gods, and thus destroyed the Odinic universe. Here the
Fenris Wolf represents those mindless powers of Nature that overthrew the
primitive creation.
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boar's, and the rest of his body an horse's. The horn is about a foot and half
in length. His voice is like the lowing of an ox. His mane and hair are of a
yellowish colour. His horn is as hard as iron, and as rough as any file,
twisted or curled, like a flaming sword; very straight, sharp, and every where
black, excepting the point. Great virtues are attributed to it, in expelling of
poison and curing of several diseases. He is not a beast of prey. " (See
Redgrove's Bygone Beliefs.)
While the unicorn is mentioned several times in Scripture, no proof has yet
been discovered of its existence. There are a number of drinking horns in
various museums presumably fashioned from its spike. It is reasonably
certain, however, that these drinking vessels were really made either from
the tusks of some large mammal or the horn of a rhinoceros. J. P. Lundy
believes that the horn of the unicorn symbolizes the hem of salvation
mentioned by St. Luke which, pricking the hearts of men, turns them to a
consideration of salvation through Christ. Medival Christian mystics
employed the unicorn as an emblem of Christ, and this creature must
therefore signify the spiritual life in man. The single horn of the unicorn may
represent the pineal gland, or third eye, which is the spiritual cognition
center in the brain. The unicorn was adopted by the Mysteries as a symbol of
the illumined spiritual nature of the initiate, the horn with which it defends
itself being the flaming sword of the spiritual doctrine against, which
nothing can prevail.
The Egyptian devil, Typhon, was often symbolized by the Set monster
whose identity is obscure. It has a queer snoutlike nose and pointed ears, and
may have been a conventional hyena. The Set monster lived in the sand
storms and wandered about the world promulgating evil. The Egyptians
related the howling of the desert winds with the moaning cry of the hyena.
Thus when in the depths of the night the hyena sent forth its doleful wail it
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sounded like the last despairing cry of a lost soul in the clutches of Typhon.
Among the duties of this evil creature was that of protecting the Egyptian
dead against: grave robbers.
Among other symbols of Typhon was the hippopotamus, sacred to the god
Mars because Mars was enthroned in the sign of Scorpio, the house of
Typhon. The ass was also sacred to this Egyptian demon. Jesus riding into
Jerusalem upon the back of an ass has the same significance as Hermes
standing upon the prostrate form of Typhon. The early Christians were
accused of worshiping the head of an ass. A most curious animal symbol is
the hog or sow, sacred to Diana, and frequently employed in the Mysteries
as an emblem of the occult art. The wild boar which gored Atys shows the
use of this animal in the Mysteries.
The dog, because of its faithfulness, denotes the relationship which should
exist between disciple and master or between the initiate and his God. The
shepherd dog was a type of the priestcraft. The dog's ability to sense and
follow unseen persons for miles symbolized the transcendental power by
which the philosopher follows the thread of truth through the labyrinth of
earthly error. The dog is also the symbol of Mercury. The Dog Star, Sirius or
Sothis, was sacred to the Egyptians because it presaged the annual
inundations of the Nile.
As a beast of burden the horse was the symbol of the body of man forced to
sustain the weight of his spiritual constitution. Conversely, it also typified
the spiritual nature of man forced to maintain the burden of the material
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personality. Chiron, the centaur, mentor of Achilles, represents the primitive
creation which was the progenitor and instructor of mankind, as described
by Berossus. The winged horse and the magic carpet both symbolize the
secret doctrine and the spiritualized body of man. The wooden horse of
Troy, secreting an army for the capture of the city, represents man's body
concealing within it those infinite potentialities which will later come forth
and conquer his environment. Again, like Noah's Ark, it represents the
spiritual nature of man as containing a host of latent potentialities which
subsequently become active. The siege of Troy is a symbolic account of the
abduction of the human soul (Helena) by the personality (Paris) and its final
redemption, through persevering struggle, by the secret doctrine--the Greek
army under the command of Agamemnon.
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Among the mythological creatures of the Mysteries were the harpies--projections into material substance of
beings existing in the invisible world of Nature. They were described the Greeks as being composite, with
the heads of maidens and the bodies of birds. The wings of the harpies were composed of metal and their
flight was, accompanied by a terrible clanging noise. During his wanderings, neas, the Trojan hero,
landed on the island of the harpies, where he and his followers vainly battled with these monsters. One of
the harpies perched upon a cliff and there prophesied to neid that his attack upon them would bring dire
calamity to the Trojans.
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The obscene rites practiced by the later Bacchanalia and Dionysia were no
more representative of the standards of purity originally upheld by the
Mysteries than the orgies occasionally occurring among the adherents of
Christianity till the eighteenth century were representative of primitive
Christianity. Sir William Hamilton, British Minister at the Court of Naples,
declares that in 1780, Isernia, a community of Christians in Italy, worshiped
with phallic ceremonies the pagan god Priapus under the name of St. Cosmo.
(See Two Essays on the Worship of Priapus, by Richard Payne Knight.)
Father, mother, and child constitute the natural trinity. The Mysteries
glorified the home as the supreme institution consisting of this trinity
functioning as a unit. Pythagoras likened the universe to the family,
declaring that as the supreme fire of the universe was in the midst of its
heavenly bodies, so, by analogy, the supreme fire of the world was upon its
hearthstones. The Pythagorean and other schools of philosophy conceived
the one divine nature of God to manifest itself in the threefold aspect of
Father, Mother, and Child. These three constituted the Divine Family, whose
dwelling place is creation and whose natural and peculiar symbol is the 47th
problem of Euclid. God the Father is spirit, God the Mother is matter, and
God the Child--the product of the two--represents the sum of living things
born out of and constituting Nature. The seed of spirit is sown in the womb
of matter, and by an immaculate (pure) conception the progeny is brought
into being. Is not this the true mystery of the Madonna holding the Holy
Babe in her arms? Who dares to say that such symbolism is improper? The
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mystery of life is the supreme mystery, revealed in all of its divine dignity
and glorified as Nature's per feet achievement by the initiated sages and
seers of all ages.
The prudery of today, however, declares this same mystery to be unfit for
the consideration of holy-minded people. Contrary to the dictates of reason,
a standard has been established which affirms that innocence bred of
ignorance is more to be desired than virtue born of knowledge. Eventually,
however, man will learn that he need never be ashamed of truth. Until he
does learn this, he is false to his God, to his world, and to himself. In this
respect, Christianity has woefully failed in its mission. While declaring
man's body to be the living temple of the living God, in the same breath it
asserts the substances and functions of this temple to be unclean and their
study defiling to the sensitive sentiments of the righteous. By this
unwholesome attitude, man's body--the house of God--is degraded and
defamed. Yet the cross itself is the oldest of phallic emblems, and the
lozenge-shaped windows of cathedrals are proof that yonic symbols have
survived the destruction of the pagan Mysteries. The very structure of the
church itself is permeated with phallicism. Remove from the Christian
Church all emblems of Priapic origin and nothing is left, for even the earth
upon which it stands was, because of its fertility, the first yonic symbol. As
the presence of these emblems of the generative processes is either unknown
or unheeded by the majority, the irony of the situation is not generally
appreciated. Only those conversant with the secret language of antiquity are
capable of understanding the divine significance of these emblems.
Flowers were chosen as symbols for many reasons. The great variety of flora
made it possible to find some plant or flower which would be a suitable
figure for nearly any abstract quality or condition. A plant might be chosen
because of some myth connected with its origin, as the stories of Daphne
and Narcissus; because of the peculiar environment in which it thrived, as
the orchid and the fungus; because of its significant shape, as the passion
flower and the Easter lily; because of its brilliance or fragrance, as the
verbena and the sweet lavender; because it preserved its form indefinitely, as
the everlasting flower; because of unusual characteristics as the sunflower
and heliotrope, which have long been sacred because of their affinity for the
sun.
The plant might also be considered worthy of veneration because from its
crushed leaves, petals, stalks, or roots could be extracted healing unctions,
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essences, or drugs affecting the nature and intelligence of human beings--
such as the poppy and the ancient herbs of prophecy. The plant might also be
regarded as efficacious in the cure of many diseases because its fruit, leaves,
petals, or roots bore a resemblance in shape or color to parts or organs of the
human body. For example, the distilled juices of certain species of ferns,
also the hairy moss growing upon oaks, and the thistledown were said to
have the power of growing hair; the dentaria, which resembles a tooth in
shape, was said to cure the toothache; and the palma Christi plant, because
of its shape, cured all afflictions of the hands.
The blossom is really the reproductive system of the plant and is therefore
singularly appropriate as a symbol of sexual purity--an absolute requisite of
the ancient Mysteries. Thus the flower signifies this ideal of beauty and
regeneration which must ultimately take the place of lust and degeneracy.
Of all symbolic flowers the locus blossom of India and Egypt and the rose of
the Rosicrucians are the most important. In their symbolism these two
flowers are considered identical. The esoteric doctrines for which the
Eastern lotus stands have been perpetuated in modern Europe under the form
of the rose. The rose and the lotus are yonic emblems, signifying primarily
the maternal creative mystery, while the Easter lily is considered to be
phallic.
The Brahmin and Egyptian initiates, who undoubtedly understood the secret
systems of spiritual culture whereby the latent centers of cosmic energy in
man may be stimulated, employed the lotus blossoms to represent the
spinning vortices of spiritual energy located at various points along the
spinal column and called chakras, or whirling wheels, by the Hindus. Seven
of these chakras are of prime importance and have their individual
correspondences in the nerve ganglia and plexuses. According to the secret
schools, the sacral ganglion is called the four-petaled lotus; the prostatic
plexus, the six-petaled lotus; the epigastric plexus and navel, the ten-petaled
lotus; the cardiac plexus, the twelve-petaled lotus; the pharyngeal plexus, the
sixteen-petaled locus; the cavernous plexus, the two-petaled lotus; and the
pineal gland or adjacent unknown center, the thousand-petaled locus. The
color, size, and number of petals upon the
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used in diagramming family lineage, from which practice has arisen the custom of terming such tables
"family trees."
lotus are the keys to its symbolic import. A hint concerning the unfoldment
of spiritual understanding according to the secret science of the Mysteries is
found in the story of Aaron's rod that budded, and also in Wagner's great
opera, Tannhuser, where the budding staff of the Pope signifies the
unfolding blossoms upon the sacred rod of the Mysteries--the spinal column.
In the Hindu system of philosophy, each petal of the lotus bears a certain
symbol which gives an added clue to the meaning of the flower. The
Orientals also used the lotus plant to signify the growth of man through the
three periods of human consciousness--ignorance, endeavor, and
understanding. As the lotus exists in three elements (earth, water, and air) so
man lives in three worlds--material, intellectual, and spiritual. As the plant,
with its roots in the mud and the slime, grows upward through the water and
finally blossoms forth in the light and air, so the spiritual growth of man is
upward from the darkness of base action and desire into the light of truth and
understanding, the water serving as a symbol of the ever-changing world of
illusion through which the soul must pass in its struggle to reach the state of
spiritual illumination. The rose and its Eastern equivalent, the lotus, like all
beautiful flowers, represent spiritual unfoldment and attainment: hence, the
Eastern deities are often shown seated upon the open petals of the lotus
blossoms.
The lotus was also a universal motif in Egyptian art and architecture. The
roofs of many temples were upheld by lotus columns, signifying the eternal
wisdom; and the lotus-headed scepter--symbolic of self-unfoldment and
divine prerogative--was often carried in religious processions. When the
flower had nine petals, it was symbolic of man; when twelve, of the universe
and the gods; when seven, of the planets and the law; when five, of the
senses and the Mysteries; and when three, of the chief deities and the worlds.
The heraldic rose of the Middle Ages generally has either five or ten petals
thereby showing its relationship to the spiritual mystery of man through the
Pythagorean pentad and decad.
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CULTUS ARBORUM
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The tree has also been accepted as symbolic of the Microcosm, that is, man.
According to the esoteric doctrine, man first exists potentially within the
body of the world-tree and later blossoms forth into objective manifestation
upon its branches. According to an early Greek Mystery myth, the god Zeus
fabricated the third race of men from ash trees. The serpent so often shown
wound around the trunk of the tree usually signifies the mind--the power of
thought--and is the eternal tempter or urge which leads all rational creatures
to the ultimate discovery of reality and thus overthrows the rule of the gods.
The serpent hidden in the foliage of the universal tree represents the cosmic
mind; and in the human tree, the individualized intellect.
The concept that all life originates from seeds caused grain and various
plants to be accepted as emblematic of the human spermatozoon, and the
tree was therefore symbolic of organized life unfolding from its primitive
germ. The growth of the universe from its primitive seed may be likened to
the growth of the mighty oak from the tiny acorn. While the tree is
apparently much greater than its own source, nevertheless that source
contains potentially every branch, twig, and leaf which will later be
objectively unfolded by the processes of growth.
Man's veneration for trees as symbols of the abstract qualities of wisdom and
integrity also led him to designate as trees those individuals who possessed
these divine qualities to an apparently superhuman degree. Highly illumined
philosophers and priests were therefore often referred to as trees or tree
men--for example, the Druids, whose name, according to one interpretation,
signifies the men of the oak trees, or the initiates of certain Syrian Mysteries
who were called cedars; in fact it is far more credible and probable that the
famous cedars of Lebanon, cut down for the building of King Solomon's
Temple, were really illumined, initiated sages. The mystic knows that the
true supports of God's Glorious House were not the logs subject to decay but
the immortal and imperishable intellects of the tree hierophants.
Trees are repeatedly mentioned in the Old and New Testaments, and in the
scriptures of various pagan nations. The Tree of Life and the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil mentioned in Genesis, the burning bush in
which the angel appeared to Moses, the famous vine and fig tree of the New
Testament, the grove of olives in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus
went to pray, and the miraculous tree of Revelation, which bore twelve
manners of fruit and whose leaves were for the healing of the nations, all
bear witness to the esteem in which trees were held by the scribes of Holy
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Writ. Buddha received his illumination while under the bodhi tree, near
Madras in India, and several of the Eastern gods are pictured sitting in
meditation beneath the spreading branches of mighty trees. Many of the
great sages and saviors carried wands, rods, or staves cut from the wood of
sacred trees, as the rods of Moses and Aaron; Gungnir--the spear of Odin--
cut from the Tree of Life; and the consecrated rod of Hermes, around which
the fighting serpents entwined themselves.
The numerous uses which the ancients made of the tree and its products are
factors in its symbolism. Its worship was, to a certain degree, based upon its
usefulness. Of this J. P. Lundy writes: "Trees occupy such an important
place in the economy of nature by way of attracting and retaining moisture,
and shading the water-sources and the soil so as to prevent barrenness and
desolation; the), are so
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useful to man for shade, for fruit, for medicine, for fuel, for building houses
and ships, for furniture, for almost every department of life, that it is no
wonder that some of the more conspicuous ones, such as the oak, the pine,
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the palm, and the sycamore, have been made sacred and used for worship."
(See Monumental Christianity.)
The early Fathers of the church sometimes used the tree to symbolize Christ.
They believed that ultimately Christianity would grow up like a mighty oak
and overshadow all other faiths of mankind. Because it annually discards its
foliage, the tree was also looked upon as an appropriate emblem of
resurrection and reincarnation, for though apparently dying each fall it
blossomed forth again with renewed verdure each ensuing spring.
Under the appellations of the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil is concealed the great arcanum of antiquity--the mystery of
equilibrium. The Tree of Life represents the spiritual point of balance--the
secret of immortality. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, as its
name implies, represents polarity, or unbalance--the secret of mortality. The
Qabbalists reveal this by assigning the central column of their Sephirothic
diagram to the Tree of Life and the two side branches to the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil. "Unbalanced forces perish in the void,"
declares the secret work, and all is made known. The apple represents the
knowledge of the procreative processes, by the awakening of which the
material universe was established. The allegory of Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden is a cosmic myth, revealing the methods of universal and
individual establishment. The literal story, accepted for so many centuries by
an unthinking world, is preposterous, but the creative mystery of which it is
the symbol is one of Nature's profoundest verities. The Ophites (serpent
worshipers) revered the Edenic snake because it was the cause of individual
existence. Though humanity is still wandering in a world of good and evil, it
will ultimately attain completion and eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life
growing in the midst of the illusionary garden of worldly things. Thus the
Tree of Life is also the appointed symbol of the Mysteries, and by partaking
of its fruit man attains immortality.
The oak, the pine, the ash, the cypress, and the palm are the five trees of
greatest symbolic importance. The Father God of the Mysteries was often
worshiped under the form of an oak; the Savior God--frequently the World
Martyr--in the form of a pine; the world axis and the divine nature in
humanity in the form of an ash; the goddesses, or maternal principle, in the
form of a cypress; and the positive pole of generation in the form of the
inflorescence of the mate date palm. The pine cone is a phallic symbol of
remote antiquity. The thyrsus of Bacchus--a long wand or staff surmounted
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by a pine cone or cluster of grapes and entwined with ivy or grape-vine
leaves, sometimes ribbons--signifies that the wonders of Nature may only be
accomplished by the aid of solar virility, as symbolized by the cone or
grapes. In the Phrygian Mysteries, Atys--the ever-present sun-savior--dies
under the branches of the pine tree (an allusion to the solar globe at the
winter solstice) and for this reason the pine tree was sacred to his cult. This
tree was also sacred in the Mysteries of Dionysos and Apollo.
Among the ancient Egyptians and Jews the acacia, or tamarisk, was held in
the highest religious esteem; and among modern Masons, branches of
acacia, cypress, cedar, or evergreen are still regarded as most significant
emblems. The shittim-wood used by the children of Israel in the construction
of the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant was a species of acacia. In
describing this sacred tree, Albert Pike has written: "The genuine acacia,
also, is the thorny tamarisk, the same tree which grew around the body of
Osiris. It was a sacred tree among the Arabs, who made of it the idol Al-
Uzza, which Mohammed destroyed. It is abundant as a bush in the desert of
Thur; and of it the 'crown of thorns' was composed, which was set on the
forehead of Jesus of Nazareth. It is a fit type of immortality on account of its
tenacity of life; for it has been known, when planted as a door-post, to take
root again and shoot out budding boughs above the threshold." (See Morals
and Dogma.)
It is quite possible that much of the veneration accorded the acacia is due to
the peculiar attributes of the mimosa, or sensitive plant, with which it was
often identified by the ancients. There is a Coptic legend to the effect that
the sensitive plant was the first of all trees or shrubs to worship Christ. The
rapid growth of the acacia and its beauty have also caused it to be regarded
as emblematic of fecundity and generation.
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Albert G. Mackey calls attention to the fact that each of the ancient
Mysteries had its own peculiar plant sacred to the gods or goddesses in
whose honor the rituals were celebrated. These sacred plants were later
adopted as the symbols of the various degrees in which they were used.
Thus, in the Mysteries of Adonis, lettuce was sacred; in the Brahmin and
Egyptian rites, the lotus; among the Druids, the mistletoe; and among certain
of the Greek Mysteries, the myrtle. (See Encyclopdia of Freemasonry.)
As the legend of CHiram Abiff is based upon the ancient Egyptian Mystery
ritual of the murder and resurrection of Osiris, it is natural that the sprig of
acacia should be preserved as symbolic of the resurrection of CHiram. The
chest containing the body of Osiris was washed ashore near Byblos and
lodged in the roots of a tamarisk, or acacia, which, growing into a mighty
tree, enclosed within its trunk the body of the murdered god. This is
undoubtedly the origin of the story that a sprig of acacia marks the grave of
CHiram. The mystery of the evergreen marking the grave of the dead sun
god is also perpetuated in the Christmas tree.
The apricot and quince are familiar yonic symbols, while the bunch of
grapes and the fig are phallic. The pomegranate is the mystic fruit of the
Eleusinian rites; by eating it, Prosperine bound herself to the realms of Pluto.
The fruit here signifies the sensuous life which, once tasted, temporarily
deprives man of immortality. Also on account of its vast number of seeds the
pomegranate was often employed to represent natural fecundity. For the
same reason, Jacob Bryant in his Ancient Mythology notes that the ancients
recognized in this fruit an appropriate emblem of the Ark of the Deluge,
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THE SUNFLOWER
which contained the seeds of the new human race. Among the ancient
Mysteries the pomegranate was also considered to be a divine symbol of
such peculiar significance that its true explanation could not be divulged. It
was termed by the Cabiri "the forbidden secret." Many Greek gods and
goddesses are depicted holding the fruit or flower of the pomegranate in
their hands, evidently to signify that they are givers of life and plenty.
Pomegranate capitals were placed upon the pillars of Jachin and Boaz
standing in front of King Solomon's Temple; and by the order of Jehovah,
pomegranate blossoms were embroidered upon the bottom of the High
Priest's ephod.
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Strong wine made from the juice of the grape was looked upon as symbolic
of the false life and false light of the universe, for it was produced by a false
process--artificial fermentation. The rational faculties are clouded by strong
drink, and the animal nature, liberated from bondage, controls the
individual--facts which necessarily were of the greatest spiritual
significance. As the lower nature is the eternal tempter seeking co lead man
into excesses which inhibit the spiritual faculties, the grape and its product
were used to symbolize the Adversary.
The juice of the grape was thought by the Egyptians to resemble human
blood more closely than did any other substance. In fact, they believed that
the grape secured its life from the blood of the dead who had been buried in
the earth. According to Plutarch, "The priests of the sun at Heliopolis never
carry any wine into their temples, * * * and if they made use of it at any time
in their libations to the gods, it was not because they looked upon it as in its
own nature acceptable to them; but they poured it upon their altars as the
blood of those enemies who formerly had fought against them. For they look
upon the vine to have first sprung out of the earth after it was fattened with
the carcasses of those who fell in the wars against the gods. And this, say
they, is the reason why drinking its juice in great quantities makes men mad
and beside themselves, filling them as it were with the blood of their own
ancestors." (See Isis and Osiris.)
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it has been identified also with baaras, the mystic herb used by the Jews for
casting out demons. In the Jewish Wars, Josephus describes the method of
securing the baaras, which he declares emits flashes of lightning and
destroys all who seek to touch it, unless they proceed according to certain
rules supposedly formulated by King Solomon himself.
The occult properties of the mandrake, while little understood, have been
responsible for the adoption of the plant as a talisman capable of increasing
the value or quantity of anything with which it was associated. As a phallic
charm, the mandrake was considered to be an infallible cure for sterility. It
was one of the Priapic symbols which the Knights Templars were accused of
worshiping. The root of the plant closely resembles a human body and often
bore the outlines of the human head, arms, or legs. This striking similarity
between the body of man and the mandragora is one of the puzzles of natural
science and is the real basis for the veneration in which this plant was held.
In Isis Unveiled, Madam Blavatsky notes that the mandragora seems to
occupy upon earth the point where the vegetable and animal kingdoms meet,
as the zoophites and polypi do in die sea. This thought opens a vast field of
speculation concerning the nature of this animal-plant.
During the Middle Ages, mandrake charms brought great prices and an art
was evolved by which the resemblance between the mandragora root and the
human body was considerably accentuated. Like most superstitions, the
belief in the peculiar powers of the mandrake was founded upon an ancient
secret doctrine concerning the true nature of the plant. "It is slightly
narcotic," says Eliphas Levi, "and an aphrodisiacal virtue was ascribed to it
by the ancients, who represented it as being sought by Thessalian sorcerers
for the composition of philtres. Is this root the umbilical vestige of our
terrestrial origin, as a certain magical mysticism has suggested? We dare not
affirm it seriously, but it is true all the same that man issued from the slime
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of earth and his first appearance must have been in the form of a rough
sketch. The analogies of Nature compel us to admit the notion, at least as a
possibility. The first men were, in this case, a family of gigantic, sensitive
mandrogores, animated by the sun, who rooted themselves up from the
earth." (See Transcendental Magic.)
The homely onion was revered by the Egyptians as a symbol of the universe
because its rings and layers represented the concentric planes into which
creation was divided according to the Hermetic Mysteries. It was also
regarded as possessing great medicinal virtue. Because of peculiar properties
resulting from its pungency, the garlic plant was a powerful agent in
transcendental magic. To this day no better medium has been found for the
treatment of obsession. Vampirism and certain forms of insanity--especially
those resulting from mediumship and the influences of elemental larv--
respond immediately to the use of garlic. In the Middle Ages, its presence in
a house was believed to ward off all evil powers.
Wreaths were worn during initiation into the Mysteries and the reading of
the sacred books to signify that these processes were consecrated to the
deities. On the symbolism of wreaths, Richard Payne Knight writes: "Instead
of beads, wreaths of foliage, generally of laurel, olive, myrtle, ivy, or oak,
appear upon coins, sometimes encircling the symbolical figures, and
sometimes as chaplets upon their heads. All these were sacred to some
peculiar personifications of the deity, and significant of some particular
attributes, and, in general, all evergreens were Dionysiac planes; that is,
symbols of the generative power, signifying perpetuity of youth and vigor,
as the circles of beads and diadems signify perpetuity of existence. (See
Symbolical Language of Ancient Art and Mythology.)
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In Gloria Mundi, from which the above illustration is reproduced, there is contained an important thought
concerning the plantlike growth of metals: "All trees, herbs, stones, metals, and minerals grow and attain
to perfection without being necessarily touched by any human hand: for the seed is raised up from the
ground, puts forth flowers, and bears fruit, simply through the agency of natural influences. As it is with
plants, so it is with metals. While they lie in the heart of the earth, in their natural ore, they grow and are
developed, day by day, through the influence of the four elements: their fire is the splendor of the Sun and
Moon; the earth conceives in her womb the splendor of the Sun, and by it the seeds of the metals are well
and equally warmed, just like the grain in the fields. * * * For as each tree of the field has its own peculiar
shape, appearance, and fruit, so each mountain bears its own particular ore; those stones and that earth
being the soil in which the metals grow." (See Translation of 1893.)
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
In the language of the Mysteries, the spirits of men are the powdered bones
of Saturn. The latter deity was always worshiped under the symbol of the
base or footing, inasmuch as he was considered to be the substructure
upholding creation. The myth of Saturn has its historical basis in the
fragmentary records preserved by the early Greeks and Phnicians
concerning a king by that name who ruled over the ancient continent of
Hyperborea. Polaris, Hyperborea, and Atlantis, because they lie buried
beneath the continents and oceans of the modern world, have frequently
been symbolized as rocks supporting upon their broad surfaces new lands,
races, and empires. According to the Scandinavian Mysteries, the stones and
cliffs were formed from the bones of Ymir, the primordial giant of the
seething clay, while to the Hellenic mystics the rocks were the bones of the
Great Mother, Ga.
After the deluge sent by the gods to destroy mankind at the close of the Iron
Age, only Deucalion and Pyrrha were left alive. Entering a ruined sanctuary
to pray, they were directed by an oracle to depart from the temple and with
heads veiled and garments unbound cast behind them the bones of their
mother. Construing the cryptic message of the god to mean that the earth
was the Great Mother of all creatures, Deucalion picked up loose rocks and,
bidding Pyrrha do likewise, cast them behind him. From these rocks there
sprang forth a new and stalwart race of human beings, the rocks thrown by
Deucalion becoming men and those thrown by Pyrrha becoming women. In
this allegory is epitomized the mystery of human evolution; for spirit, by
ensouling matter, becomes that indwelling power which gradually but
sequentially raises the mineral to the status of the plant; the plant to the
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plane of the animal; the animal to the dignity of man; and man to the estate
of the gods.
The solar system was organized by forces operating inward from the great
ring of the Saturnian sphere; and since the beginnings of all things were
under the control of Saturn, the most reasonable inference is that the first
forms of worship were dedicated to him and his peculiar symbol--the stone.
Thus the intrinsic nature of Saturn is synonymous with that spiritual rock
which is the enduring foundation of the Solar Temple, and has its antitypc or
lower octave in that terrestrial rock--the planet Earth--which sustains upon
its jagged surface the diversified genera of mundane life.
Of particular interest are the rocking or logan stones, which evince the
mechanical skill of these early peoples. These relics consist of enormous
boulders poised upon one or two small points in such a manner that the
slightest pressure will sway them, but the greatest effort is not sufficient to
overthrow them. These were called living stones by the Greeks and Latins,
the most famous one being the Gygorian stone in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Though so perfectly balanced that it could be moved with the stalk of a
daffodil, this rock could not be upset by the combined weight of many men.
There is a legend that Hercules raised a rocking stone over the graves of the
two sons of Boreas whom he had killed in combat. This stone was so
delicately poised that it swayed back and forth with the wind, but no
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application of force could overturn it. A number of logan stones have been
found in Britain, traces of one no longer standing having been discovered in
Stonehenge. (See The Celtic Druids.) It is interesting to note that the green
stones forming the inner ring of Stonehenge are believed to have been
brought from Africa.
In many cases the monoliths are without carving or inscription, for they
undoubtedly antedate both the use of tools and the art of writing. In some
instances the stones have been trued into columns or obelisks, as in the runic
monuments and the Hindu lingams and sakti stones; in other instances they
are fashioned into rough likenesses of the human body, as in the Easter
Island statues, or into the elaborately sculptured figures of the Central
American Indians and the Khmers of Cambodia. The first rough-stone
images can hardly be considered as effigies of any particular deity but rather
as the crude effort of primitive man to portray in the enduring qualities of
stone the procreative attributes of abstract Divinity. An instinctive
recognition of the stability of Deity has persisted through all the intervening
ages between primitive man and modem civilization. Ample proof of the
survival of litholatry in the Christian faith is furnished by allusions to the
rock of refuge, the rock upon which the church of Christ was to be founded,
the corner stone which the builders rejected, Jacob's stony pillow which he
set up and anointed with oil, the sling stone of David, the rock Moriah upon
which the altar of King Solomon's Temple was erected, the white stone of
Revelation, and the Rock of Ages.
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discovered element of fire caused pyrolatry to supplant stone worship. The
dark, cold Father--stone--gave birth out of itself to the bright, glowing Son-
fire; and the newly born flame, by displacing its parent, became the most
impressive and mysterious of all religio-philosophic symbols, widespread
and enduring through the ages.
The body of every thing was likened to a rock, trued either into a cube or
more ornately chiseled to form a pedestal, while the spirit of everything was
likened to the elaborately carved figure surmounting it. Accordingly, altars
were erected as a symbol of the lower world, and fires were kept burning
upon them to represent that spiritual essence illuminating the body it
surmounted. The square is actually one surface of a cube, its corresponding
figure in plane geometry, and its proper philosophic symbol. Consequently,
when considering the earth as an element and not as a body, the Greeks,
Brahmins, and Egyptians always referred to its four corners, although they
were fully aware that the planet itself was a sphere.
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Because their doctrines were the sure foundation of all knowledge and the
first step in the attainment of conscious immortality, the Mysteries were
often represented as cubical or pyramidal stones. Conversely, these stones
themselves became the emblem of that condition of self-achieved godhood.
The unchangeability of the stone made it an appropriate emblem of God--the
immovable and unchangeable Source of Existence--and also of the divine
sciences--the eternal revelation of Himself to mankind. As the
personification of the rational intellect, which is the true foundation of
human life, Mercury, or Hermes, was symbolized in a like manner. Square
or cylindrical pillars, surmounted by a bearded head of Hermes and called
herm, were set up in public places. Terminus, a form of Jupiter and god of
boundaries and highways, from whose name is derived the modern word
terminal, was also symbolized by an upright stone, sometimes ornamented
with the head of the god, which was placed at the borders of provinces and
the intersections of important roads.
While upon the heights of Mount Sinai, Moses received from Jehovah two
tablets bearing the characters of the Decalogue traced by the very finger of
Israel's God. These tables were fashioned from the divine sapphire,
Schethiy, which the Most High, after removing from His own throne, had
cast into the Abyss to become the foundation and generator of the worlds.
This sacred stone, formed of heavenly dew, was sundered by the breath of
God, and upon the two parts were drawn in black fire the figures of the Law.
These precious inscriptions, aglow with celestial splendor, were delivered by
the Lord on the Sabbath day into the hands of Moses, who was able to read
the illumined letters from the reverse side because of the transparency of the
great jewel. (See The Secret Doctrine in Israel or The Zohar for details of
this legend.)
The Ten Commandments are the ten shining gems placed by the Holy One
in the sapphire sea of Being, and in the depths of matter the reflections of
these jewels are seen as the laws governing the sublunary spheres. They are
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the sacred ten by which the Supreme Deity has stamped His will upon the
face of Nature. This same decad was celebrated by the Pythagoreans under
the form of the tetractys--that triangle of spermatic points which reveals to
the initiated the whole working of the cosmic scheme; for ten is the number
of perfection, the key to creation, and the proper symbol of God, man, and
the universe.
Because of the idolatry of the Israelites, Moses deemed the people unworthy
to receive the sapphire tables; hence he destroyed them, that the Mysteries of
Jehovah should not be violated. For the original set Moses substituted two
tablets of rough stone into the surface of which he had cut ten ancient letters.
While the former tables--partaking of the divinity of the Tree of Life--blazed
forth eternal verities, the latter--partaking of the nature of the Tree of Good
and Evil--revealed only temporal truths. Thus the ancient tradition of Israel
returned again to heaven, leaving only its shadow with the children of the
twelve tribes.
One of the two tables of stone delivered by the Lawgiver to his followers
stood for the oral, the other for the written traditions upon which the
Rabbinical School was founded. Authorities differ widely as to the size and
substance of the inferior tables. Some describe them as being so small that
they could be held in the hollow of a man's hand; others declare that each
table was ten or twelve cubits in length and of enormous weight. A few even
deny that the tables were of stone, maintaining that they were of a wood
called sedr, which, according to the Mohammedans, grows profusely in
Paradise.
The two tables signify respectively the superior and the inferior worlds--the
paternal and the maternal formative principles. In their undivided state they
represent the Cosmic Androgyne. The breaking of the tables signifies
obscurely the separation of the superior and the inferior spheres and also the
division of the sexes. In the religious processionals of the Greeks and
Egyptians an ark or ship was carried which contained stone tablets, cones,
and vessels of various shapes emblematic of the procreative processes. The
Ark of the Israelites--which was patterned after the sacred chests of the Isiac
Mysteries--contained three holy objects, each having an important phallic
interpretation: the pot of manna, the rod that budded, and the Tablets of the
Law--the first, second, and third Principles of the Creative Triad. The
manna, the blossoming staff, and the stone tables are also appropriate images
respectively of the Qabbalah, the Mishna, and the written law--the spirit,
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soul, and body of Judaism. When placed in King Solomon's Everlasting
House, the Ark of the Covenant contained only the Tablets of the Law. Does
this indicate that even at that early date the secret tradition had been lost and
the letter of the revelation alone remained?
The right Tablet of the Law further signifies Jachin--the white pillar of light;
the left Tablet, Boaz--the shadowy pillar of darkness. These were the names
of the two pillars cast from brass set up on the porch of King Solomon's
Temple. They were eighteen cubits in height and beautifully ornamented
with wreaths of chainwork, nets, and pomegranates. On the top of each pillar
was a large bowl--now erroneously called a ball or globe--one of the bowls
probably containing fire and the other water. The celestial globe (originally
the bowl of fire), surmounting the right-hand column (Jachin), symbolized
the divine man; the terrestrial globe (the bowl of water), surmounting the
left-hand column (Boaz), signified the earthly man. These two pillars
respectively connote also the active and the passive expressions of Divine
Energy, the sun and the moon, sulphur and salt, good and bad, light and
darkness. Between them is the door leading into the House of God, and
standing thus at the gates of Sanctuary they are a reminder that Jehovah is
both an androgynous and an anthropomorphic deity. As two parallel
columns they denote the zodiacal signs of Cancer and Capricorn, which
were formerly placed in the chamber of initiation to represent birth and
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death--the extremes of physical life. They accordingly signify the summer
and the winter solstices, now known to Freemasons under the comparatively
modern appellation of the "two St. Johns."
In the mysterious Sephirothic Tree of the Jews, these two pillars symbolize
Mercy and Severity. Standing before the gate of King Solomon's Temple,
these columns had the same symbolic import as the obelisks before the
sanctuaries of Egypt. When interpreted Qabbalistically, the names of the two
pillars mean "In strength shal
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My House be established. "In the splendor of mental and spiritual
illumination, the High Priest stood between the pillars as a mute witness to
the perfect virtue of equilibrium--that hypothetical point equidistant from all
extremes. He thus personified the divine nature of man in the midst of his
compound constitution--the mysterious Pythagorean Monad in the presence
of the Duad. On one side towered the stupendous column of the intellect; on
the other, the brazen pillar of the flesh. Midway between these two stands
the glorified wise man, but he cannot reach this high estate without first
suffering upon the cross made by joining these pillars together. The early
Jews occasionally represented the two pillars, Jachin and Boaz, as the legs of
Jehovah, thereby signifying to the modern philosopher that Wisdom and
Love, in their most exalted sense, support the whole order of creation--both
mundane and supermundane.
Like the sapphire Schethiy, the Lapis Exilis, crown jewel of the Archangel
Lucifer, fell from heaven. Michael, archangel of the sun and the Hidden God
of Israel, at the head of the angelic hosts swooped down upon Lucifer and
his legions of rebellious spirits. During the conflict, Michael with his
flaming sword struck the flashing Lapis Exilis from the coronet of his
adversary, and the green stone fell through all the celestial rings into the
dark and immeasurable Abyss. Out of Lucifer's radiant gem was fashioned
the Sangreal, or Holy Grail, from which Christ is said to have drunk at the
Last Supper.
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No adequate interpretation has ever been given to the Grail Mysteries. Some
believe the Knights of the Holy Grail to have been a powerful organization
of Christian mystics perpetuating the Ancient Wisdom under the rituals and
sacraments of the oracular Cup. The quest for the Holy Grail is the eternal
search for truth, and Albert G. Mackey sees in it a variation of the Masonic
legend of the Lost Word so long sought by the brethren of the Craft. There is
also evidence to support the claim that the story of the Grail is an elaboration
of an early pagan Nature myth which has been preserved by reason of the
subtle manner in which it was engrafted upon the cult of Christianity. From
this particular viewpoint, the Holy Grail is undoubtedly a type of the ark or
vessel in which the life of the world is preserved and therefore is significant
of the body of the Great Mother--Nature. Its green color relates it to Venus
and to the mystery of generation; also to the Islamic faith, whose sacred
color is green and whose Sabbath is Friday, the day of Venus.
The Holy Grail is a symbol both of the lower (or irrational) world and of the
bodily nature of man, because both are receptacles for the living essences of
the superior worlds. Such is the mystery of the redeeming blood which,
descending into the condition of death, overcomes the last enemy by
ensouling all substance with its own immortality. To the Christian, whose
mystic faith especially emphasizes the love element, the Holy Grail typifies
the heart in which continually swirls the living water of eternal life.
Moreover, to the Christian, the search for the Holy Grail is the search for the
real Self which, when found, is the consummation of the magnum opus.
The Holy Cup can be discovered only by those who have raised themselves
above the limitations of sensuous existence. In his mystic poem, The Vision
of Sir Launfal, James Russell Lowell discloses the true nature of the Holy
Grail by showing that it is visible only to a certain state of spiritual
consciousness. Only upon returning from the vain pursuit of haughty
ambition did the aged and broken knight see in the transformed leper's cup
the glowing chalice of his lifelong dream. Some writers trace a similarity
between the Grail legend and the stories of the martyred Sun Gods whose
blood, descending from heaven into the earth, was caught in the cup of
matter and liberated therefrom by the initiatory rites. The Holy Grail may
also be the seed pod so frequently employed in the ancient Mysteries as an
emblem of germination and resurrection; and if the cuplike shape of the
Grail be derived from the flower, it signifies the regeneration and
spiritualization of the generative forces in man.
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There are many accounts of stone images which, because of the substances
entering into their composition and the ceremonials attendant upon their
construction, were ensouled by the divinities whom they were created to
resemble. To such images were ascribed various human faculties and
powers, such as speech, thought, and even motion. While renegade priests
doubtless resorted to trickery--an instance of which is related in a curious
apocryphal fragment entitled Bel and the Dragon and supposedly deleted
from the end of the Book of Daniel--many of the phenomena recorded in
connection with sanctified statues and relics can hardly be explained unless
the work of supernatural agencies be admitted.
History records the existence of stones which, when struck, threw all who
heard the sound into a state of ecstasy. There were also echoing images
which whispered for hours after the room itself had become silent, and
musical stones productive of the sweetest harmonies. In recognition of the
sanctity which the Greeks and Latins ascribed to stones, they placed their
hands upon certain consecrated pillars when taking an oath. In ancient times
stones played a part in determining the fate of accused persons, for it was
customary for juries to reach their verdicts by dropping pebbles into a bag.
Divination by stones was often resorted to by the Greeks, and Helena is said
to have foretold by lithomancy the destruction of Troy. Many popular
superstitions about stones survive the so-called Dark Ages. Chief among
these is the one concerning the famous black stone in the seat of the
coronation chair in Westminster Abbey, which is declared to be the actual
rock used by Jacob as a pillow. The black stone also appears several times in
religious symbolism. It was called Heliogabalus, a word presumably derived
from Elagabal, the Syro-Phnician sun god. This stone was sacred to the
sun and declared to possess great and diversified properties. The black stone
in the Caaba at Mecca is still revered throughout the Mohammedan world. It
is said to have been white originally and of such brilliancy that it could be
seen many days' journey from Mecca, but as ages passed it became
blackened by the tears of pilgrims and the sins of the world.
According to the teachings of the Mysteries, the rays of the celestial bodies,
striking the crystallizing influences of the lower world, become the various
elements. Partaking of the astral virtues of their source, these elements
neutralize certain unbalanced forms of celestial activity and, when properly
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combined, contribute much to the well-being of man. Little is known today
concerning these magical properties, but the modern world may yet find it
profitable to consider the findings of the early philosophers who determined
these relationships by extensive experimentation. Out of such research arose
the practice of identifying the metals with the bones of the various deities.
For example, the Egyptians, according to Manetho, considered iron to be the
bone of Mars and the lodestone the bone of Horus. By analogy, lead would
be the physical skeleton of Saturn, copper of Venus, quicksilver of Mercury,
gold of the sun, silver of the moon, and antimony of the earth. It is possible
that uranium
EXAMPLES OF HERM
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will prove to be the metal of Uranus and radium to be the metal of Neptune.
The four Ages of the Greek mystics--the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the
Bronze Age, and the Iron Age--are metaphoric expressions referring to the
four major periods in the life of all things. In the divisions of the day they
signify dawn, midday, sunset, and midnight; in the duration of gods, men,
and universes, they denote the periods of birth, growth, maturity, and decay.
The Greek Ages also bear a close correspondence to the four Yugas of the
Hindus: Krita-Yuga, Treta-Yuga, Dvapara-Yuga, and Kali-Yuga. Their
method of calculation is described by Ullamudeian as follows: "In each of
the 12 signs there are 1800 minutes; multiply this number by 12 you have
21600; e.g. 1800 X 12=21600. Multiply this 21600 by 80 and it will give
1,728,000, which is the duration of the first age, called Krita-Yuga. If the
same number be multiplied by 60, it will give 1,296,000, the years of the
second age, Treta-Yuga. The same number multiplied by 40 gives 864,000,
the length of the third age, Dvapara-Yuga. The same multiplied by 20 gives
432,000, the fourth age, Kali-Yuga." (It will be noted that these multipliers
decrease in inverse ratio to the Pythagorean tetractys: 1, 2, 3, and 4.)
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with a gem partaking of the nature of one of the seven ruling planets of the
week, and by daily changing the rings Apollonius protected himself against
sickness and death by the intervention of the planetary influences. The
philosopher also instructed his disciples in the virtues of these talismanic
jewels, considering such information to be indispensable to the theurgist.
Agrippa describes the preparation of magical rings as follows: "When any
Star [planet] ascends fortunately, with the fortunate aspect or conjunction of
the Moon, we must take a stone and herb that is under that Star, and make a
ring of the metal that is suitable to this Star, and in it fasten the stone, putting
the herb or root under it-not omitting the inscriptions of images, names, and
characters, as also the proper suffumigations." (See Three Books of Occult
Philosophy.)
The ring has long been regarded as the symbol of attainment, perfection, and
immortality-the last because the circlet of precious metal had neither
beginning nor end. In the Mysteries, rings chased to resemble a serpent with
its tail in its mouth were worn by the initiates as material evidence of the
position reached by them in the order. Signet rings, engraved with certain
secret emblems, were worn by the hierophants, and it was not uncommon for
a messenger to prove that he was the official representative of a prince or
other dignitary by bringing with his message either an impression from his
master's ring or the signet itself. The wedding ring originally was intended to
imply that in the nature of the one who wore it the state of equilibrium and
completion had been attained. This plain band of gold therefore bore witness
of the union of the Higher Self (God) with the lower self (Nature) and the
ceremony consummating this indissoluble blending of Divinity and
humanity in the one nature of the initiated mystic constituted the hermetic
marriage of the Mysteries.
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with lapis lazuli and beryl; and on Saturday (the day of Saturn) he should
carry a wand ornamented with onyx stone and wear a ring set with onyx and
a chain about the neck formed of lead. (See The Magical Ritual of the
Sanctum Regnum.)
To the zodiac the same authorities assigned the following gems and stones:
To Aries the sardonyx, bloodstone, amethyst, and diamond; to Taurus the
carnelian, turquoise, hyacinth, sapphire, moss agate, and emerald; to Gemini
the topaz, agate, chrysoprase, crystal, and aquamarine; to Cancer the topaz,
chalcedony, black onyx, moonstone, pearl, cat's-eye, crystal, and sometimes
the emerald; to Leo the jasper, sardonyx, beryl, ruby, chrysolite, amber,
tourmaline, sometimes the diamond; to Virgo the emerald, camelian, jade,
chrysolite, and sometimes the pink jasper and hyacinth; to Libra the beryl,
sardius, coral, lapis lazuli, opal, and sometimes the diamond; to Scorpio the
amethyst, beryl, sardonyx, aquamarine, carbuncle, lodestone, topaz, and
malachite; to Sagittarius die hyacinth, topaz, chrysolite, emerald, carbuncle,
and turquoise; to Capricorn the chrysoprase, ruby, malachite, black onyx,
white onyx, jet, and moonstone; to Aquarius the crystal, sapphire, garnet,
zircon, and opal; to Pisces the sapphire, jasper, chrysolite, moonstone, and
amethyst
Both the magic mirror and the crystal ball are symbols little understood.
Woe to that benighted mortal who accepts literally the stories circulated
concerning them! He will discover--often at the cost of sanity and health--
that sorcery and philosophy, while often confused, have nothing in common.
The Persian Magi carried mirrors as an emblem of the material sphere which
reflects Divinity from its every part. The crystal ball, long misused as a
medium for the cultivation of psychical powers, is a threefold symbol: (1) it
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signifies the crystalline Universal Egg in whose transparent depths creation
exists; (2) it is a proper figure of Deity previous to Its immersion in matter;
(3) it signifies the theric sphere of the world in whose translucent essences
is impressed and preserved the perfect image of all terrestrial activity.
Meteors, or rocks from heaven, were considered tokens of divine favor and
enshrined as evidence of a pact between the gods and the community in
which they fell. Curiously marked or chipped natural stones are occasionally
found. In China there is a slab of marble the grain of which forms a perfect
likeness of the Chinese dragon. The Oberammergau stone, chipped by
Nature into a close resemblance to the popular conception of the face of
Christ, is so remarkable that even the crowned heads of Europe requested the
privilege of beholding it. Stones of such nature were held in the highest
esteem among primitive peoples and even today exert a wide influence upon
the religiously-minded.
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Egypt, a great center of learning and the birthplace of many arts and
sciences, furnished an ideal environment for transcendental experimentation.
Here the black magicians of Atlantis continued to exercise their superhuman
powers until they had completely undermined and corrupted the morals of
the primitive Mysteries. By establishing a sacerdotal caste they usurped the
position formerly occupied by the initiates, and seized the reins of spiritual
government. Thus black magic dictated the state religion and paralyzed the
intellectual and spiritual activities of the individual by demanding his
complete and unhesitating acquiescence in the dogma formulated by the
priestcraft. The Pharaoh became a puppet in the hands of the Scarlet
Council--a committee of arch-sorcerers elevated to power by the priesthood.
These sorcerers then began the systematic destruction of all keys to the
ancient wisdom, so that none might have access to the knowledge necessary
to reach adeptship without first becoming one of their order. They mutilated
the rituals of the Mysteries while professing to preserve them, so that even
though the neophyte passed through the degrees he could not secure the
knowledge to which he was entitled. Idolatry was introduced by encouraging
the worship of the images which in the beginning the wise had erected solely
as symbols for study and meditation. False interpretations were given to the
emblems and figures of the Mysteries, and elaborate theologies were created
to confuse the minds of their devotees. The masses, deprived of their
birthright of understanding and groveling in ignorance, eventually became
the abject slaves of the spiritual impostors. Superstition universally prevailed
and the black magicians completely dominated national affairs, with the
result that humanity still suffers from the sophistries of the priestcrafts of
Atlantis and Egypt.
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Fully convinced that their Scriptures sanctioned it, numerous medival
Qabbalists devoted their lives to the practice of ceremonial magic. The
transcendentalism of the Qabbalists is founded upon the ancient and magical
formula of King Solomon, who has long been considered by the Jews as the
prince of ceremonial magicians.
Among the Qabbalists of the Middle Ages were a great number of black
magicians who strayed from the noble concepts of the Sepher Yetzirah and
became enmeshed in demonism and witchcraft. They sought to substitute
magic mirrors, consecrated daggers, and circles spread around posts of
coffin nails, for the living of that virtuous life which, without the assistance
of complicated rituals or submundane creatures, unfailingly brings man to
the state of true individual completion.
Those who sought to control elemental spirits through ceremonial magic did
so largely with the hope of securing from the invisible worlds either rare
knowledge or supernatural power. The little red demon of Napoleon
Bonaparte and the infamous oracular heads of de Medici are examples of the
disastrous results of permitting elemental beings to dictate the course of
human procedure. While the learned and godlike dmon of Socrates seems
to have been an exception, this really proves that the intellectual and moral
status of the magician has much to do with the type of elemental he is
capable of invoking. But even the dmon of Socrates deserted the
philosopher when the sentence of death was passed.
Many a magician has lost his life as the result of opening a way whereby
submundane creatures could become active participants in his affairs. When
Eliphas Levi invoked the spirit of Apollonius of Tyana, what did he hope to
accomplish? Is the gratification of curiosity a motive sufficient to warrant
the devotion of an entire lifetime to a dangerous and unprofitable pursuit? If
the living Apollonius refused to divulge his secrets to the profane, is there
any probability that after death he would disclose them to the curious-
minded? Levi himself did not dare to assert that the specter which appeared
to him was actually the great philosopher, for Levi realized only too well the
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proclivity of elementals to impersonate those who have passed on. The
majority of modern mediumistic apparitions are but elemental creatures
masquerading through bodies composed of thought substance supplied by
the very persons desiring to behold these wraiths of decarnate beings.
First. The visible universe has an invisible counterpart, the higher planes of
which are peopled by good and beautiful spirits; the lower planes, dark and
foreboding, are the habitation of evil spirits and demons under the leadership
of the Fallen Angel and his ten Princes.
Fourth. True black magic is performed with the aid of a demoniacal spirit,
who serves the sorcerer for the length of his earthly life, with the
understanding that after death the magician shall become the servant of his
own demon. For this reason a black magician will go to inconceivable ends
to prolong his physical life, since there is nothing for him beyond the grave.
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Though the demonism of the Middle Ages seems to have disappeared, there
is abundant evidence that in many forms of modern thought--especially the
so-called "prosperity" psychology, "willpower-building" metaphysics, and
systems of "high-pressure" salesmanship--
black magic has merely passed through a metamorphosis, and although its
name be changed its nature remains the same.
A well-known magician of the Middle Ages was Dr. Johannes Faustus, more
commonly known as Dr. Faust. By a study of magical writings he was
enabled to bind to his service an elemental who served him for many years
in various capacities. Strange legends are told concerning the magical
powers possessed by Dr. Faust. Upon one occasion the philosopher, being
apparently in a playful mood, threw his mantle over a number of eggs in a
market-woman's basket, causing them to hatch instantly. At another time,
having fallen overboard from a small boat, he was picked up and returned to
the craft with his clothes still dry. But, like nearly all other magicians, Dr.
Faust came at length to disaster; he was found one morning with a knife in
his back, and it was commonly believed that his familiar spirit had murdered
him. Although Goethe's Dr. Faust is generally regarded as merely a fictional
character, this old magician actually lived during the sixteenth century. Dr.
Faust wrote a book describing his experiences with spirits, a section of
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which is reprinted below. (Dr. Faust must not be confused with Johann Fust,
the printer.)
"From my youth I followed art and science and was tireless in my reading of
books. Among those which came to my hand was a volume containing all
kinds of invocations and magical formul. In this book I discovered
information to the effect that a spirit, whether he be of the fire, the water, the
earth or the air, can be compelled to do the will of a magician capable of
controlling him. I also discovered that according as one spirit has more
power than another, each is adapted for a different operation and each is
capable of producing certain supernatural effects.
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manifested himself. For the third time I asked my question and he answered,
'I am as swift as human thought.' 'You shall serve me,' I replied. This spirit
was faithful for a long time, but to tell you how he served me is not possible
in a document of this length and I will here only indicate how spirits are to
be invoked and how the circles for protection are to be prepared. There are
many kinds of spirits which will permit themselves to be invoked by man
and become his servant. Of these I will list a few:
"Aciel: The mightiest among those who serve men. He manifests in pleasing
human form about three feet high. He must be invoked three times before he
will come forth into the circle prepared for him. He will furnish riches and
will instantly fetch things from a great distance, according to the will of the
magician. He is as swift as human thought.
"Aniguel: Serviceable and most useful, and comes in the form of a ten-year-
old boy. He must be invoked three times. His special power is to discover
treasures and minerals hidden in the ground, which he will furnish to the
magician.
"Marbuel: A true lord of the mountains and swift as a bird on the wing. He
is an opposing and troublesome spirit, hard to control. You must invoke him
four times. He appears in the person of Mars [a warrior in heavy armor]. He
will furnish the magician those things which grow above and under the
earth. He is particularly the lord of the spring-root. [The spring-root is a
mysterious herb, possibly of a reddish color, which medival magicians
asserted had the property of drawing forth or opening anything it touched. If
placed against a locked door, it would open the door. The Hermetists
believed that the red-capped woodpecker was specially endowed with the
faculty of discovering spring-root, so they followed this bird to its nest, and
then stopped up the hole in the tree where its young were. The red-crested
woodpecker went at once in quest of the spring-root, and, discovering it,
brought it to the tree. It immediately drew forth the stopper from the
entrance to the nest. The magician then secured the root from the bird. It was
also asserted that because of its structure, the etheric body of the spring-root
was utilized as a vehicle of expression by certain elemental spirits which
manifested through the proclivity of drawing out or opening things.]
"Aciebel: A mighty ruler of the sea, controlling things both upon and under
the water. He furnishes things lost or sunk in rivers, lakes, and oceans, such
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as sunken ships and treasures. The more sharply you invoke him, the swifter
he is upon his errands.
"Machiel: Comes in the form of a beautiful maiden and by her aid the
magician is raised to honor and dignity. She makes those she serves worthy
and noble, gracious and kindly, and assists in all matters of litigation and
justice. She will not come unless invoked twice.
"These are the spirits most serviceable to man, but there are numerous others
which, for lack of space, I am unable to describe. Now, if you desire the aid
of the spirit to get this or that, then you must first draw the sign of the spirit
whom you desire to invoke. The drawing must be made just in front of a
circle made before sunrise, in which you and your assistants will stand. If
you desire financial assistance, then you must invoke the spirit Aciel. Draw
his sign in front of the circle. If you need other things, then draw the sign of
the spirit capable of furnishing them. On the place where you intend to make
the circle, you must first draw a great cross with a large sword with which
no one ever has been hurt. Then you must make three concentric circles. The
innermost circle is made of a
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A MAGICAL SWORD
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A MAGIC CIRCLE
long narrow strip of virgin parchment and must be hung upon twelve crosses
made of the wood of cross-thorn. Upon the parchment you must write the
names and symbols according to the figure which follows. Outside this first
circle make the second as follows:
"First secure a thread of red silk that has been spun or twisted to the left
instead of the right. Then place in the ground twelve crosses made of laurel
leaves, and also prepare a long strip of new white paper. Write with an
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unused pen the characters and symbols as seen on the second circle. Wind
this latter strip of paper around with the red silken thread and pin them upon
the twelve crosses of laurel leaves. Outside this second circle make a third
one which is also of virgin parchment and pinned upon twelve crosses of
consecrated palm. When you have made these three circles, retire into them
until at last you stand in the center upon a pentagram drawn in the midst of
the great cross first drawn. Now, to insure success, do everything according
to the description, and when you have read off the sacred invocation
pronounce the name of the spirit which you desire to appear. It is essential
that you pronounce the name very distinctly. You must also note the day and
the hour, for each spirit can only be invoked at certain times."
While the black magician at the time of signing his pact with the elemental
demon maybe fully convinced that he is strong enough to control
indefinitely the powers placed at his disposal, he is speedily undeceived.
Before many years elapse he must turn all his energies to the problem of
self-preservation. A world of horrors to which he has attuned himself by his
own covetousness looms nearer every day, until he exists upon the edge of a
seething maelstrom, expecting momentarily to be sucked down into its
turbid depths. Afraid to die--because he will become the servant of his own
demon--the magician commits crime after crime to prolong his wretched
earthly existence. Realizing that life is maintained by the aid of a mysterious
universal life force which is the common property of all creatures, the black
magician often becomes an occult vampire, stealing this energy from others.
According to medival superstition, black magicians turned themselves into
werewolves and roamed the earth at night, attacking defenseless victims for
the life force contained in their blood.
"Opening Prayer
"Omnipotent and Eternal God who hath ordained the whole creation for thy
praise and glory and for the salvation of man, I earnestly beseech thee that
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thou wouldst send one of thy spirits of the order of Jupiter, one of the
messengers of Zadkiel whom thou hast appointed governor of thy firmament
at the present time, most faithfully, willingly, and readily to show me these
things which I shall ask, command or require of him, and truly execute my
desires. Nevertheless, O Most Holy God, thy will and not mine be done
through JC, thine only begotten Son our Lord. Amen.
"The Invocation.
[The magician, having properly consecrated his vestments and utensils and
being protected by his circle, now calls upon the spirits to appear and accede
to his demands.]
"Spirits, whose assistance I require, behold the sign and the very Hallowed
Names of God full of power. Obey the power of this our pentacle; go out
your hidden caves and dark places; cease your hurtful occupations to those
unhappy mortals whom without ceasing you torment; come into this place
where the Divine Goodness has assembled us; be attentive to our orders and
known to our just demands; believe not that your resistance will cause us to
abandon our operations. Nothing can dispense with your obeying us. We
command you by the Mysterious Names Elohe Agla Elohim Adonay Gibort.
Amen.
"I call upon thee, Zadkiel, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost, blessed Trinity, unspeakable Unity.
"I invoke and intreat thee, Zadkiel, in this hour to attend to the words and
conjurations which I shall use this day by the Holy Names of God Elohe El
Elohim Elion Zebaoth Escerehie Iah Adonay Tetragrammaton.
"I conjure thee, I exorcise thee, thou Spirit Zadkiel, by these Holy Names
Hagios O Theos Iscyros Athanatos Paracletus Agla on Alpha et Omega Ioth
Aglanbroth Abiel Anathiel Tetragrammaton: And by all other great and
glorious, holy and unspeakable, mysterious, mighty, powerful,
incomprehensible Names of God, that you attend unto the words of my
mouth, and send unto me Pabiel or other of your ministering, serving Spirits,
who may show me such things as I shall demand of him in the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
"I intreat thee, Pabiel, by the whole Spirit of Heaven, Seraphim, Cherubim,
Thrones, Dominations, Witnesses, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and
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Angels, by the holy, great, and glorious Angels Orphaniel Tetra-Dagiel
Salamla Acimoy pastor poti, that thou come forthwith, readily show thyself
that we may see you and audibly hear you, speak unto us and fulfil our
desires, and by your star which is Jupiter, and by all the constellations of
Heaven, and by whatsoever you obey, and by your character which you have
given, proposed, and confirmed, that you attend unto me according to the
prayer and petitions which I have made unto Almighty God, and that you
forthwith send me one of your ministering Spirits, who may willingly, truly,
and faithfully fulfil all my desires, and that you command him to appear
unto me in the form of a beautiful Angel, gently, courteously, affably, and
meekly, entering into communication with me, and that he neither permitting
any evil Spirit to approach in any sort of hurt, terrify or affright me in any
way nor deceiving me in any wise. Through the virtue of Our Lord JC, in
whose Name I attend, wait for, and expect thy appearance. Fiat, fiat, fiat.
Amen, Amen, Amen.
"Interrogatories.
[Having summoned the spirit unto his presence, the magician shall question
him as follows:]
"'Comest thou in peace in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost?' [And the spirit shall answer:] 'Yes.'
"'Thou art welcome, noble Spirit. What is thy Name?' [And the spirit shall
answer:] 'Pabiel.'
"'I have called thee in the Name of Jesu of Nazareth at whose Name every
knee doth bow in heaven, earth, and hell, and every tongue shall confess
there is no name like unto the Name of Jesus, who hath given power unto
man to bind and to loose all things in his most Holy Name, yea even unto
those that trust in his salvation.
"'Art thou the messenger of Zadkiel?' [And the spirit shall answer:] 'Yes.'
"'Wilt thou confirm thyself unto me at this time and henceforth reveal all
things unto me that I shall desire to know, and teach me how I may increase
in wisdom and knowledge and show unto me all the secrets of the Magic
Art, and of all liberal sciences, that I may thereby set forth the glory of
Almighty God?' [And the spirit shall answer:] 'Yes.'
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"'Then I pray thee give and confirm thy character unto me whereby I may
call thee at all times, and also swear unto me this oath and I will religiously
keep my vow and covenant unto Almighty God and will courteously receive
thee at all times where thou dost appear unto me.'
"License to Depart.
THE PENTAGRAM
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unto my petitions, I give humble and hearty thanks unto Almighty God in
whose Name I called and thou camest, and now thou mayest depart in peace
unto thine orders and return unto me again at what time soever I shall call
thee by thine oath, or by thy name or by thine order, or by thine office which
is granted thee from the Creator, and the power of God be with me and thee
and upon the whole issue of God, Amen.
"'Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.'
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[Note.] "It would be advisable for the invocant to remain in the circle for a
few minutes after reciting the license, and if the place of operation be in the
open air, let him destroy all traces of the circle, etcetera, and return quietly to
his home. But should the operation be performed in a retired part of a house,
cc cetera, the circle may remain, as it might serve in alike future operation,
but the room or building must be locked up to avoid the intrusion of
strangers."
The agreement set forth above is purely ceremonial magic. In the case of
black magic, it is the magician and not the demon who must sign the pact.
When the black magician binds an elemental to his service, a battle of wits
ensues, which the demon eventually wins. With his own blood the magician
signs the pact between himself and the demon, for in the arcanum of magic it
is declared that "he controls the soul who controls the blood of another." As
long as the magician does not fail, the elemental will fulfil to the letter his
obligation under the pact, but the demon will try in every possible way to
prevent the magician from carrying out his part of the contract. When the
conjurer, ensconced within his circle, has evoked the spirit he desires to
control and has made known his intention, the spirit will answer somewhat
as follows: "I cannot accede to your request nor fulfil it, unless after fifty
years you give yourself to me, body and soul, to do with as I may please."
If the magician refuses, other terms will be discussed. The spirit may say: "I
will remain in your service as long as on every Friday morning you will go
forth upon the public street giving alms in the name of Lucifer. The first
time you fail in this you belong to me."
If the magician still refuses, realizing that the demon will make it impossible
for him to fulfil his contract, other terms will be discussed, until at last a pact
is agreed upon. It may read as follows: "I hereby promise the Great Spirit
Lucifuge, Prince of Demons, that each year I will bring unto him a human
soul to do with as it may please him, and in return Lucifuge promises to
bestow upon me the treasures of the earth and fulfil my every desire for the
length of my natural life. If I fail to bring him each year the offering
specified above, then my own soul shall be forfeit to him. Signed . . . . . . . . .
. . . . " [Invocant signs pact with his own blood.]
THE PENTAGRAM
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In symbolism, an inverted figure always signifies a perverted power. The
average person does not even suspect the occult properties of emblematic
pentacles. On this subject the great Paracelsus has written: "No doubt many
will scoff at the seals, their characters and their uses, which are described in
these books, because it seems incredible to them that metals and characters
which are dead should have any power and effect. Yet no one has ever
proved that the metals and also the characters as we know them are dead, for
the salts, sulphur, and quintessences of metals are the highest preservatives
of human life and are far superior to all other simples." (Translated from the
original German.)
The black magician cannot use the symbols of white magic without bringing
down upon himself the forces of white magic, which would be fatal to his
schemes. He must therefore distort the hierograms so that they typify the
occult fact that he himself is distorting the principles for which the symbols
stand. Black magic is not a fundamental art; it is the misuse of an art.
Therefore it has no symbols of its own. It merely takes the emblematic
figures of white magic, and by inverting and reversing them signifies that it
is left-handed.
The pentagram is used extensively in black magic, but when so used its form
always differs in one of three ways: The star may be broken at one point by
not permitting the converging lines to touch; it may be inverted by having
one point down and two up; or it may be distorted by having the points of
varying lengths. When used in black magic, the pentagram is called the "sign
of the cloven hoof," or the footprint of the Devil. The star with two points
upward is also called the "Goat of Mendes," because the inverted star is the
same shape as a goat's head. When the upright star turns and the upper point
falls to the bottom, it signifies the fall of the Morning Star.
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THE PENTACLES OF THE SEVEN PLANETS AND THE SEALS AND
CHARACTERS OF THE PLANETARY ANGELS
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The water element of the ancient philosophers has been metamorphosed into
the hydrogen of modern science; the air has become oxygen; the fire,
nitrogen; the earth, carbon.
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inhabited by a host of peculiar beings, to whom he has given the name
elementals, and which have later been termed the Nature spirits. Paracelsus
divided these people of the elements into four distinct groups, which he
called gnomes, undines, sylphs, and salamanders. He taught that they were
really living entities, many resembling human beings in shape, and
inhabiting worlds of their own, unknown to man because his undeveloped
senses were incapable of functioning beyond the limitations of the grosser
elements.
The Greeks gave the name dmon to some of these elementals, especially
those of the higher orders, and worshiped them. Probably the most famous
of these dmons is the mysterious spirit which instructed Socrates, and of
whom that great philosopher spoke in the highest terms. Those who have
devoted much study to the invisible constitution of man realize that it is
quite probable the dmon of Socrates and the angel of Jakob Bhme were in
reality not elementals, but the overshadowing divine natures of these
philosophers themselves. In his notes to Apuleius on the God of Socrates,
Thomas Taylor says:
"As the dmon of Socrates, therefore, was doubtless one of the highest
order, as may be inferred from the intellectual superiority of Socrates to
most other men, Apuleius is justified in calling this dmon a God. And that
the dmon of Socrates indeed was divine, is evident from the testimony of
Socrates himself in the First Alcibiades: for in the course of that dialogue he
clearly says, 'I have long been of the opinion that the God did not as yet
direct me to hold any conversation with you.' And in the Apology he most
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unequivocally evinces that this dmon is allotted a divine transcendency,
considered as ranking in the order of dmons."
The idea once held, that the invisible elements surrounding and
interpenetrating the earth were peopled with living, intelligent beings, may
seem ridiculous to the prosaic mind of today. This doctrine, however, has
found favor with some of the greatest intellects of the world. The sylphs of
Facius Cardin, the philosopher of Milan; the salamander seen by Benvenuto
Cellini; the pan of St. Anthony; and le petit homme rouge (the little red man,
or gnome) of Napoleon Bonaparte, have found their places in the pages of
history.
"Yet," he adds, "the Elementals are not spirits, because they have flesh,
blood and bones; they live and propagate offspring; they cat and talk, act and
sleep, &c., and consequently they cannot be properly called 'spirits.' They
are beings occupying a place between men and spirits, resembling men and
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spirits, resembling men and women in their organization and form, and
resembling spirits in the rapidity of their locomotion." (Philosophia Occulta,
translated by Franz Hartmann.) Later the same author calls these creatures
composita, inasmuch as the substance out of which they are composed
seems to be a composite of spirit and matter. He uses color to explain the
idea. Thus, the mixture of blue and red gives purple, a new color, resembling
neither of the others yet composed of both. Such is the case with the Nature
spirits; they resemble neither spiritual creatures nor material beings, yet are
composed of the substance which we may call spiritual matter, or ether.
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is meant the spiritual essence of one of the four elements. There areas many
ethers as there are elements and as many distinct families of Nature spirits as
there are ethers. These families are completely isolated in their own ether
and have no intercourse with the denizens of the other ethers; but, as man
has within his own nature centers of consciousness sensitive to the impulses
of all the four ethers, it is possible for any of the elemental kingdoms to
communicate with him under proper conditions.
Concerning the elemental ethers in which the Nature spirits exist, Paracelsus
wrote: "They live in the four elements: the Nymph in the element of water,
the Sylphes in that of the air, the Pigmies in the earth, and the Salamanders
in fire. They are also called Undin, Sylvestres, Gnomi, Vulcani, &c. Each
species moves only in the element to which it belongs, and neither of them
can go out of its appropriate element, which is to them as the air is to us, or
the water to fishes; and none of them can live in the element belonging to
another class. To each elemental being the element in which it lives is
transparent, invisible and respirable, as the atmosphere is to ourselves."
(Philosophia Occulta, translated by Franz Hartmann.)
The reader should be careful not to confuse the Nature spirits with the true
life waves evolving through the invisible worlds. While the elementals are
composed of only one etheric (or atomic) essence, the angels, archangels,
and other superior, transcendental entities have composite organisms,
consisting of a spiritual nature and a chain of vehicles to express that nature
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not unlike those of men, but not including the physical body with its
attendant limitations.
THE GNOMES
The elementals who dwell in that attenuated body of the earth which is
called the terreous ether are grouped together under the general heading of
gnomes. (The name is probably derived from the Greek genomus, meaning
earth dweller. See New English Dictionary.)
Just as there are many types of human beings evolving through the objective
physical elements of Nature, so there are many types of gnomes evolving
through the subjective ethereal body of Nature. These earth spirits work in
an element so close in vibratory rate to the material earth that they have
immense power over its rocks and flora, and also over the mineral elements
in the animal and human kingdoms. Some, like the pygmies, work with the
stones, gems, and metals, and are supposed to be the guardians of hidden
treasures. They live in caves, far down in what the Scandinavians called the
Land of the Nibelungen. In Wagner's wonderful opera cycle, The Ring of the
Nibelungen, Alberich makes himself King of the Pygmies and forces these
little creatures to gather for him the treasures concealed beneath the surface
of the earth.
Besides the pygmies there are other gnomes, who are called tree and forest
sprites. To this group belong the sylvestres, satyrs, pans, dryads,
hamadryads, durdalis, elves, brownies, and little old men of the woods.
Paracelsus states that the gnomes build houses of substances resembling in
their constituencies alabaster, marble, and cement, but the true nature of
these materials is unknown, having no counterpart in physical nature. Some
families of gnomes gather in communities, while others are indigenous to
the substances with and in which they work. For example, the hamadryads
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live and die with the plants or trees of which they are a part. Every shrub and
flower is said to have its own Nature spirit, which often uses the physical
body of the plant as its habitation. The ancient philosophers, recognizing the
principle of intelligence manifesting itself in every department of Nature
alike, believed that the quality of natural selection exhibited by creatures not
possessing organized mentalities expressed in reality the decisions of the
Nature spirits themselves.
C. M. Gayley, in The Classic Myths, says: "It was a pleasing trait in the old
paganism that it loved to trace in every operation of nature the agency of
deity. The imagination of the Greeks peopled the regions of earth and sea
with divinities, to whose agency it attributed the phenomena that our
philosophy ascribes to the operation of natural law." Thus, in behalf of the
plant it worked with, the elemental accepted and rejected food elements,
deposited coloring matter therein, preserved and protected the seed, and
performed many other beneficent offices. Each species was served by a
different but appropriate type of Nature spirit. Those working with
poisonous shrubs, for example, were offensive in their appearance. It is said
the Nature spirits of poison hemlock resemble closely tiny human skeletons,
thinly covered with a semi-transparent flesh. They live in and through the
hemlock, and if it be cut down remain with the broken shoots until both die,
but while there is the slightest evidence of life in the shrub it shows the
presence of the elemental guardian.
Great trees also have their Nature spirits, but these are much larger than the
elementals of smaller plants. The labors of the pygmies include the cutting
of the crystals in the rocks and the development of veins of ore. When the
gnomes are laboring with animals or human beings, their work is confined to
the tissues corresponding with their own natures. Hence they work with the
bones, which belong to the mineral kingdom, and the ancients believed the
reconstruction of broken members to be impossible without the cooperation
of the elementals.
The gnomes are of various sizes--most of them much smaller than human
beings, though some of them have the power of changing their stature at
will. This is the result of the extreme mobility of the element in which they
function. Concerning them the Abb de Villars wrote: "The earth is filled
well nigh to its center with Gnomes, people of slight stature, who are the
guardians of treasures, minerals and precious stones. They are ingenious,
friends of man, and easy to govern."
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Not all authorities agree concerning the amiable disposition of the gnomes.
Many state that they are of a tricky and malicious nature, difficult to
manage, and treacherous. Writers agree, however, that when their
confidence is won they are faithful and true. The philosophers and initiates
of the ancient world were instructed concerning these mysterious little
people and were taught how to communicate with them and gain their
cooperation in undertakings of importance. The magi were always warned,
however, never to betray the trust of the elementals, for if they did, the
invisible creatures, working through the subjective nature of man, could
cause them endless sorrow and probably ultimate destruction. So long as the
mystic served others, the gnomes would serve him, but if he sought to use
their aid selfishly to gain temporal power they would turn upon him with
unrelenting fury. The same was true if he sought to deceive them.
The earth spirits meet at certain times of the year in great conclaves, as
Shakespeare suggests in his Midsummer Night's Dream, where the
elementals all gather to rejoice in the beauty and harmony of Nature and the
prospects of an excellent harvest. The gnomes are ruled over by a king,
whom they greatly love and revere. His name is Gob; hence his subjects are
often called goblins. Medival mystics gave a corner of creation (one of the
cardinal points) to each of the four kingdoms of Nature spirits, and because
of their earthy character the gnomes were assigned to the North--the place
recognized by the ancients as the source of darkness and death. One of the
four main divisions of human disposition was also assigned to the gnomes,
and because so many of them dwelt in the darkness of caves and the gloom
of forests their temperament was said to be melancholy, gloomy, and
despondent. By this it is not meant that they themselves are of such
disposition, but rather that they have special control over elements of similar
consistency.
The gnomes marry and have families, and the female gnomes are called
gnomides. Some wear clothing woven of the element in which they live. In
other instances their garments are part of themselves and grow with them,
like the fur of animals. The gnomes are said to have insatiable appetites, and
to spend a great part of the rime eating, but they earn their food by diligent
and conscientious
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CONVENTIONAL GNOMES
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dream is so vivid that, upon awakening, a person actually believes that he
has passed through a physical experience. The difficulty of accurately
judging as to the end of physical sight and the beginning of ethereal vision
may account for these differences of opinion.
Even this explanation, however, does not satisfactorily account for the satyr
which, according to St. Jerome, was captured alive during the reign of
Constantine and exhibited to the people. It was of human form with the
horns and feet of a goat. After its death it was preserved in salt and taken to
the Emperor that he might testify to its reality. (It is within the bounds of
probability that this curiosity was what modern science knows as a
monstrosity.)
THE UNDINES
As the gnomes were limited in their function to the elements of the earth, so
the undines (a name given to the family of water elementals) function in the
invisible, spiritual essence called humid (or liquid) ether. In its vibratory rate
this is close to the element water, and so the undines are able to control, to a
great degree, the course and function of this fluid in Nature. Beauty seems to
be the keynote of the water spirits. Wherever we find them pictured in art or
sculpture, they abound in symmetry and grace. Controlling the water
element--which has always been a feminine symbol--it is natural that the
water spirits should most often be symbolized as female.
There are many groups of undines. Some inhabit waterfalls, where they can
be seen in the spray; others are indigenous to swiftly moving rivers; some
have their habitat in dripping, oozing fens or marshes; while other groups
dwell in clear mountain lakes. According to the philosophers of antiquity,
every fountain had its nymph; every ocean wave its oceanid. The water
spirits were known under such names as oreades, nereides, limoniades,
naiades, water sprites, sea maids, mermaids, and potamides. Often the water
nymphs derived their names from the streams, lakes, or seas in which they
dwelt.
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human beings and actually associating with men and women. There are
many legends about these spirits and their adoption by the families of
fishermen, but in nearly every case the undines heard the call of the waters
and returned to the realm of Neptune, the King of the Sea.
Practically nothing is known concerning the male undines. The water spirits
did not establish homes in the same way that the gnomes did, but lived in
coral caves under the ocean or among the reeds growing on the banks of
rivers or the shores of lakes. Among the Celts there is a legend to the effect
that Ireland was peopled, before the coming of its present inhabitants, by a
strange race of semi-divine creatures; with the coming of the modem Celts
they retired into the marshes and fens, where they remain even to this day.
Diminutive undines lived under lily pads and in little houses of moss
sprayed by waterfalls. The undines worked with the vital essences and
liquids in plants, animals, and human beings, and were present in everything
containing water. When seen, the undines generally resembled the goddesses
of Greek statuary. They rose from the water draped in mist and could not
exist very long apart from it.
There are many families of undines, each with its peculiar limitations, it is
impossible to consider them here in detail. Their ruler, Necksa, they love and
honor, and serve untiringly. Their temperament is said to be vital, and to
them has been given as their throne the western corner of creation. They are
rather emotional beings, friendly to human life and fond of serving mankind.
They are sometimes pictured riding on dolphins or other great fish and seem
to have a special love of flowers and plants, which they serve almost as
devotedly and intelligently as the gnomes. Ancient poets have said that the
songs of the undines were heard in the West Wind and that their lives were
consecrated to the beautifying of the material earth.
THE SALAMANDERS
The third group of elementals is the salamanders, or spirits of fire, who live
in that attenuated, spiritual ether which is the invisible fire element of
Nature. Without them material fire cannot exist; a match cannot be struck
nor will flint and steel give off their spark without the assistance of a
salamander, who immediately appears (so the medival mystics believed),
evoked by friction. Man is unable to communicate successfully with the
salamanders, owing to the fiery element in which they dwell, for everything
is resolved to ashes that comes into their presence. By specially prepared
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compounds of herbs and perfumes the philosophers of the ancient world
manufactured many kinds of incense. When incense was burned, the vapors
which arose were especially suitable as a medium for the expression of these
elementals, who, by borrowing the ethereal effluvium from the incense
smoke, were able to make their presence felt.
Medival investigators of the Nature spirits were of the opinion that the
most common form of salamander was lizard-like in shape, a foot or more in
length, and visible as a glowing Urodela, twisting and crawling in the midst
of the fire. Another group was described as huge flaming giants in flowing
robes, protected with sheets of fiery armor. Certain medival authorities,
among them the Abb de Villars, held that Zarathustra (Zoroaster) was the
son of Vesta (believed to have been the wife of Noah) and the great
salamander Oromasis. Hence, from that time onward, undying fires have
been maintained upon the Persian altars in honor of Zarathustra's flaming
father.
One most important subdivision of the salamanders was the Acthnici. These
creatures appeared only as indistinct globes. They were supposed to float
over water at night and occasionally to appear as forks of flame on the masts
and rigging of ships (St. Elmo's fire). The salamanders were the strongest
and most powerful of the elementals, and had as their ruler a magnificent
flaming spirit called Djin, terrible and awe-inspiring in appearance. The
salamanders were dangerous and the sages were warned to keep away from
them, as the benefits derived from studying them were often not
commensurate with the price paid. As the ancients associated heat with the
South, this corner of creation was assigned to the salamanders as their drone,
and they exerted special influence over all beings of fiery or tempestuous
temperament. In both animals and men, the salamanders work through the
emotional nature by means of the body heat, the liver, and the blood stream.
Without their assistance there would be no warmth.
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THE SYLPHS
While the sages said that the fourth class of elementals, or sylphs, lived in
the element of air, they meant by this not the natural atmosphere of the earth,
but the invisible, intangible, spiritual medium--an ethereal substance similar
in composition to our atmosphere, but far more subtle. In the last: discourse
of Socrates, as preserved by Plato in his Phdo, the condemned philosopher
says:
"And upon the earth are animals and men, some in a middle region, others
(elementals] dwelling about the air as we dwell about the sea; others in
islands which the air flows round, near the continent; and in a word, the air
is used by them as the water and the sea are by us, and the ether is to them
what the air is to us. More over, the temperament of their seasons is such
that they have no disease [Paracelsus disputes this], and live much longer
than we do,
A MERMAID
and have sight and bearing and smell, and all the other senses, in far greater
perfection, in the same degree that air is purer than water or the ether than
air. Also they have temples and sacred places in which the gods really dwell,
and they hear their voices and receive their answers, and are conscious of
them and hold converse with them, and they see the sun, moon, and stars as
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they really are, and their other blessedness is of a piece with this." While the
sylphs were believed to live among the clouds and in the surrounding air,
their true home was upon the tops of mountains.
To the sylphs the ancients gave the labor of modeling the snowflakes and
gathering clouds. This latter they accomplished with the cooperation of the
undines who supplied the moisture. The winds were their particular vehicle
and the ancients referred to them as the spirits of the air. They are the
highest of all the elementals, their native element being the highest in
vibratory rate. They live hundreds of years, often attaining to a thousand
years and never seeming to grow old. The leader of the sylphs is called
Paralda, who is said to dwell on the highest mountain of the earth. The
female sylphs were called sylphids.
It is believed that the sylphs, salamanders, and nymphs had much to do with
the oracles of the ancients; that in fact they were the ones who spoke from
the depths of the earth and from the air above.
The sylphs sometimes assume human form, but apparently for only short
periods of time. Their size varies, but in the majority of cases they are no
larger than human beings and often considerably smaller. It is said that the
sylphs have accepted human beings into their communities and have
permitted them to live there for a considerable period; in fact, Paracelsus
wrote of such an incident, but of course it could not have occurred while the
human stranger was in his physical body. By some, the Muses of the Greeks
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are believed to have been sylphs, for these spirits are said to gather around
the mind of the dreamer, the poet, and the artist, and inspire him with their
intimate knowledge of the beauties and workings of Nature. To the sylphs
were given the eastern corner of creation. Their temperament is mirthful,
changeable, and eccentric. The peculiar qualities common to men of genius
are supposedly the result of the cooperation of sylphs, whose aid also brings
with it the sylphic inconsistency. The sylphs labor with the gases of the
human body and indirectly with the nervous system, where their inconstancy
is again apparent. They have no fixed domicile, but wander about from place
to place--elemental nomads, invisible but ever-present powers in the
intelligent activity of the universe.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
Certain of the ancients, differing with Paracelsus, shared the opinion that the
elemental kingdoms were capable of waging war upon one another, and they
recognized in the battlings of the elements disagreements among these
kingdoms of Nature spirits. When lightning struck a rock and splintered it,
they believed that the salamanders were attacking the gnomes. As they could
not attack one another on the plane of their own peculiar etheric essences,
owing to the fact that there was no vibratory correspondence between the
four ethers of which these kingdoms are composed, they had to attack
through a common denominator, namely, the material substance of the
physical universe over which they had a certain amount of power.
Wars were also fought within the groups themselves; one army of gnomes
would attack another army, and civil war would be rife among them.
Philosophers of long ago solved the problems of Nature's apparent
inconsistencies by individualizing and personifying all its forces, crediting
them with having temperaments not unlike the human and then expecting
them to exhibit typical human inconsistencies. The four fixed signs of the
zodiac were assigned to the four kingdoms of elementals. The gnomes were
said to be of the nature of Taurus; the undines, of the nature of Scorpio; the
salamanders exemplified the constitution of Leo; while the sylphs
manipulated the emanations of Aquarius.
The Christian Church gathered all the elemental entities together under the
title of demon. This is a misnomer with far-reaching consequences, for to the
average mind the word demon means an evil thing, and the Nature spirits are
essentially no more malevolent than are the minerals, plants, and animals.
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Many of the early Church Fathers asserted that they had met and debated
with the elementals.
The terms incubus and succubus have been applied indiscriminately by the
Church Fathers to elementals. The incubus and succubus, however, are evil
and unnatural creations, whereas elementals is a collective term for all the
inhabitants of the four elemental essences. According to Paracelsus, the
incubus and succubus (which are male and female respectively) are
parasitical creatures subsisting upon the evil thoughts and emotions of the
astral body. These terms are also applied to the superphysical organisms of
sorcerers and black magicians. While these larv are in no sense imaginary
beings, they are, nevertheless, the offspring of the imagination. By the
ancient sages they were recognized as the invisible cause of vice because
they hover in the ethers surrounding the morally weak and continually incite
them to excesses of a degrading nature. For this reason they frequent the
atmosphere of the dope den, the dive, and the brothel, where they attach
themselves to those unfortunates who have given themselves up to iniquity.
By permitting his senses to become deadened through indulgence in habit-
forming drugs or alcoholic stimulants, the individual becomes temporarily
en rapport with these denizens of the astral plane. The houris seen by the
hasheesh or opium addict and the lurid monsters which torment the victim of
delirium tremens are examples of submundane beings, visible only to those
whose evil practices are the magnet for their attraction.
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Differing widely from the elementals and also the incubus and succubus is
the vampire, which is defined by Paracelsus as the astral body of a person
either living or dead (usually the latter state). The vampire seeks to prolong
existence upon the physical plane by robbing the living of their vital
energies and misappropriating such energies to its own ends.
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A SYLPH
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Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, during the fifth century before
Christ, dissociated the healing art from the other sciences of the temple and
thereby established a precedent for separateness. One of the consequences is
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the present widespread crass scientific materialism. The ancients realized the
interdependence of the sciences. The moderns do not; and as a result,
incomplete systems of learning are attempting to maintain isolated
individualism. The obstacles which confront present-day scientific research
are largely the result of prejudicial limitations imposed by those who are
unwilling to accept that which transcends the concrete perceptions of the
five primary human senses.
During the Middle Ages the long-ignored axioms and formul of Hermetic
wisdom were assembled once more, and chronicled, and systematic attempts
were made to test their accuracy. To Theophrastus of Hohenheim, who
called himself Paracelsus (a name meaning "greater than Celsus"), the world
is indebted for much of the knowledge it now possesses of the ancient
systems of medicine. Paracelsus devoted his entire life to the study and
exposition of Hermetic philosophy. Every notion and theory was grist to his
mill, and, while members of the medical fraternity belittle his memory now
as they opposed his system then, the occult world knows that he will yet be
recognized as the greatest physician of all times. While the heterodox and
exotic temperament of Paracelsus has been held against him by his enemies,
and his wanderlust has been called vagabondage, he was one of the few
minds who intelligently sought to reconcile the art of healing with the
philosophic and religious systems of paganism and Christianity.
In defending his right to seek knowledge in all parts of the earth, and among
all classes of society, Paracelsus wrote: "Therefore I consider that it is for
me a matter of praise, not of blame, that I have hitherto and worthily pursued
my wanderings. For this will I bear witness respecting nature: he who will
investigate her ways must travel her books with his feet. That which is
written is investigated through its letters, but nature from land to land-as
often a land so often a leaf. Thus is the Codex of Nature, thus must its leaves
be turned." (Paracelsus, by John Maxson Stillman.)
Paracelsus was a great observationalist, and those who knew him best have
called him "The Second Hermes" and "The Trismegistus of Switzerland."
He traveled Europe from end to end, and may have penetrated Eastern lands
while running down superstitions and ferreting out supposedly lost
doctrines. From the gypsies he learned much concerning the uses of simples,
and apparently from the Arabians concerning the making of talismans and
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the influences of the heavenly bodies. Paracelsus felt that the healing of the
sick was of far greater importance than the maintaining of an orthodox
medical standing, so he sacrificed what might otherwise have been a
dignified medical career and at the cost of lifelong persecution bitterly
attacked the therapeutic systems of his day.
Uppermost in his mind was the hypothesis that everything in the universe is
good for something--which accounts for his cutting fungus from tombstones
and collecting dew on glass plates at midnight. He was a true explorer of
Nature's arcanum. Many authorities have held the opinion that he was the
discoverer of mesmerism, and that Mesmer evolved the art as the result of
studying the writings of this great Swiss physician.
The utter contempt which Paracelsus felt for the narrow systems of medicine
in vogue during his lifetime, and his conviction of their inadequacy, are best
expressed in his own quaint way: "But the number of diseases that originate
from some unknown causes is far greater than those that come from
mechanical causes, and for such diseases our physicians know no cure
because not knowing such causes they cannot remove them. All they can
prudently do is to observe the patient and make their guesses about his
condition; and the patient may rest satisfied if the medicines administered to
him do no serious harm, and do not prevent his recovery. The best of our
popular physicians are the ones that do least harm. But, unfortunately, some
poison their patients with mercury, others purge them or bleed them to
death. There are some who have learned so much that their learning has
driven out all their common sense, and a there are others who care a great:
deal more for their own profit than for the health of their patients. A disease
does not change its state to accommodate itself to the knowledge of the
physician, but the physician should understand the causes of the disease. A
physician should be a servant of Nature, and not her enemy; he should be
able to guide and direct her in her struggle for life and not throw, by his
unreasonable interference, fresh obstacles in the way of recovery." (From the
Paragranum, translated by Franz Hartmann.)
The belief that nearly all diseases have their origin in the invisible nature of
man (the Astrum) is a fundamental precept of Hermetic medicine, for while
Hermetists in no way disregarded the physical body, they believed that
man's material constitution was an emanation from, or an objectification of,
his invisible spiritual principles. A brief, but it is believed fairly
comprehensive, rsum of the Hermetic principles of Paracelsus follows.
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There is one vital substance in Nature upon which all things subsist. It is
called archus, or vital life force, and is synonymous with the astral light or
spiritual air of the ancients. In regard to this substance, Eliphas Levi has
written: "Light, that creative agent, the vibrations of which are the
movement and life of all things; light, latent in the universal ether, radiating
about absorbing centres, which, being saturated thereby, project movement
and life in their turn, so forming creative currents; light, astralized in the
stars, animalized in animals, humanized in human beings; light, which
vegetates all plants, glistens in metals, produces all forms of Nature and
equilibrates all by the laws of universal sympathy--this is the light which
exhibits the phenomena of magnetism, divined by Paracelsus, which
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tinctures the blood, being released from the air as it is inhaled and
discharged by the hermetic bellows of the lungs." (The History of Magic.)
This vital energy has its origin in the spiritual body of the earth. Every
created thing has two bodies, one visible and substantial, the other invisible
and transcendent. The latter consists of an ethereal counterpart of the
physical form; it constitutes the vehicle of archus, and may be called a
vital body. This etheric shadow sheath is not dissipated by death, but
remains until the physical form is entirely disintegrated. These "etheric
doubles, "seen around graveyards, have given rise to a belief in ghosts.
Being much finer in its substances than the earthly body, the etheric double
is far more susceptible to impulses and inharmonies. It is derangements of
this astral light body that cause much disease. Paracelsus taught that a person
with a morbid mental attitude could poison his own etheric nature, and this
infection, diverting the natural flow of vital life force, would later appear as
a physical ailment. All plants and minerals have an invisible nature
composed of this "archus," but each manifests it in a different way.
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Rose-tree." (Unheard-of Curiosities Concerning Talismanical Sculpture of
the Persians.)
The vehicle for the archus, or vital life force, Paracelsus called the mumia.
A good example of a physical mumia is vaccine, which is the vehicle of a
semi-astral virus. Anything which serves as a medium for the transmission
of the archus, whether it be organic or inorganic, truly physical or partly
spiritualized, was termed a mumia. The most universal form of the mumia
was ether, which modern science has accepted as a hypothetical substance
serving as a medium between the realm of vital energy and that of organic
and inorganic substance.
According to Paracelsus, in the same way that plants purify the atmosphere
by accepting into their constitutions the carbon dioxid exhaled by animals
and humans, so may plants and animals accept disease elements transferred
to them by human beings. These lower forms of life, having organisms and
needs different from man, are often able to assimilate these substances
without ill effect. At other times, the plant or animal dies, sacrificed in order
that the more intelligent, and consequently more useful, creature may
survive. Paracelsus discovered that in either case the patient was gradually
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relieved of his malady. When the lower life had either completely
assimilated the foreign mumia from the patient, or had itself died and
disintegrated as the result of its inability to do so, complete recovery
resulted. Many years of investigation were necessary to determine which
herb or animal most readily accepted the mumia of each of various diseases.
Paracelsus discovered that in many cases plants revealed by their shape the
particular organs of the human body which they served most effectively. The
medical system of Paracelsus was based on the theory that by removing the
diseased etheric mumia from the organism of the patient and causing it to be
accepted into the nature of some distant and disinterested thing of
comparatively little value, it was possible to divert from the patient the flow
of the archus which had been continually revitalizing and nourishing the
malady. Its vehicle of expression being transplanted, the archus necessarily
accompanied its mumia, and the patient recovered.
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At the beginning of the seventeenth century von Helmont, the Belgian alchemist (to whom incidentally, the
world is indebted for the common term gas, as distinguished from other kinds of air), while experimenting
with the root of A---, touched it to the tip of his tongue, without swallowing any of the substance. He himself
describes the result in the following manner:
"Immediately my head seemed tied tightly with a string, and soon after there happened to me a singular
circumstance such as I had never before experienced. I observed with astonishment that I no longer felt
and thought with the head, but with the region of the stomach, as if consciousness had now taken up its seat
in the stomach. Terrified by this unusual phenomenon, I asked myself and inquired into myself carefully;
but I only became the more convinced that my power of perception was became greater and more
comprehensive. This intellectual clearness was associated with great pleasure. I did not sleep, nor did I
dream; I was perfectly sober; and my health was perfect. I had occasionally had ecstasies, but these had
nothing in common with this condition of the stomach, in which it thought and felt, and almost excluded all
cooperation of the head. In the meantime my friends were troubled with the fear that I might go mad. But
my faith to God, and my submission to His will, soon dissipated this fear. This state continued for two
hours, after which I had same dizziness. I afterwards frequently tasted of the A---, but I never again could
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reproduce these sensations." (Van Helmont, Demens idea. Reprinted by P. Davidson in The Mistletoe and
Its Philosophy.)
Von Helmont is only one of many who have accidentally hit upon the secrets of the early priestcrafts, but
none in this age give evidence of an adequate comprehension of the ancient Hermetic secrets. From the
description von Helmont gives, it is probable that the herb mentioned by him paralyzed temporarily the
cerebrospinal nervous system, the result being that the consciousness was forced to function through the
sympathetic nervous system and its brain--the solar plexus.
The fourth cause of disease was what the Orientals called Karma, that is, the
Law of Compensation, which demanded that the individual pay in full for
the indiscretions and delinquencies of the past. A physician had to be very
careful how he interfered with the workings of this law, lest he thwart the
plan of Eternal justice. The fifth cause was the motion and aspects of the
heavenly bodies. The stars did not compel the sickness but rather impelled it.
The Hermetists taught that a strong and wise man ruled his stars, but that a
negative, weak person was ruled by them. These five causes of disease are
all superphysical in nature. They must be estimated by inductive and
deductive reasoning and a careful consideration of the life and temperament
of the patient.
The sixth cause of disease was a misuse of faculty, organ, or function, such
as overstraining a member or overtaxing the nerves. The seventh cause was
the presence in the system of foreign substances, impurities, or obstructions.
Under this heading must be considered diet, air, sunlight, and the presence of
foreign bodies. This list does not include accidental injuries; such do not
belong under the heading of disease. Frequently they are methods by which
the Law of Karma expresses itself.
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man possessed of devils whom Jesus healed by commanding the devils to
leave the man and enter into a herd of swine. Sometimes the evil spirits
entered a patient at the bidding of someone desiring to injure him. In these
cases the physician commanded the spirits to return to the one who sent
them. It is recorded that in some instances the evil spirits departed through
the mouth in the form of clouds of smoke; sometimes from the nostrils as
flames. It is even averred that the spirits might depart in the form of birds
and insects.
The third method was with the aid of talismans, charms, and amulets. The
ancients believed that the planets controlled the functions of the human body
and that by making charms out of different metals they could combat the
malignant influences of the various stars. Thus, a person who is anmic
lacks iron. Iron was believed to be under the control of Mars. Therefore, in
order to bring the influence of Mars to the sufferer, around his neck was
hung a talisman made of iron and bearing upon it certain secret instructions
reputed to have the power of invoking the spirit of Mars. If there was too
much iron in the system, the patient was subjected to the influence of a
talisman composed of the metal corresponding to some planet having an
antipathy to Mars. This influence would then offset the Mars energy and
thus aid in restoring normality.
The fourth method was by the aid of herbs and simples. While they used
metal talismans, the majority of the ancient physicians did not approve of
mineral medicine in any form for internal use. Herbs were their favorite
remedies. Like the metals, each herb was assigned to one of the planets.
Having diagnosed by the stars the sickness and its cause, the doctors then
administered the herbal antidote.
The fifth method of healing disease was by prayer. All ancient peoples
believed in the compassionate intercession of the Deity for the alleviation of
human suffering. Paracelsus said that faith would cure all disease. Few
persons, however, possess a sufficient degree of faith.
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The sixth method--which was prevention rather than cure--was regulation of
the diet and daily habits of life. The individual, by avoiding the things which
caused illness, remained well. The ancients believed that health was the
normal state of man; disease was the result of man's disregard of the dictates
of Nature.
Paracelsus used all seven methods of treatment, and even his worst enemies
admitted that he accomplished results almost miraculous in character. Near
his old estate in Hohenheim, the dew falls very heavily at certain seasons of
the year, and Paracelsus discovered that by gathering the dew under certain
configurations of the planets he obtained a water possessing marvelous
medicinal virtue, for it had absorbed the properties of the heavenly bodies.
The herbs of the fields were sacred to the early pagans, who believed that the
gods had made plants for the cure of human ills. When properly prepared
and applied, each root and shrub could be used for the alleviation of
suffering, or for the development of spiritual, mental, moral, or physical
powers. In The Mistletoe and Its Philosophy, P. Davidson pays the following
beautiful tribute to the plants: "Books have been written on the language of
flowers and herbs, the poet from the earliest ages has held the sweetest and
most loving converse with them, kings are even glad to obtain their essences
at second hand to perfume themselves; but to the true physician--Nature's
High-Priest--they speak in a far higher and more exalted strain. There is not
a plant or mineral which has disclosed the last of its properties to the
scientists. How can they feel confident that for every one of the discovered
properties there may not be many powers concealed in the inner nature of
the plant? Well have flowers been called the 'Stars of Earth,' and why should
they not be beautiful? Have they not from the time of their birth smiled in
the splendor of the sun by day, and slumbered under the brightness of the
stars by night? Have they not come from another and more spiritual world to
our earth, seeing that God made 'every plant of the field BEFORE it was in
the earth, and every herb of the field BEFORE IT GREW'?"
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Many primitive peoples used herbal remedies, with many remarkable cures.
The Chinese, Egyptians, and American Indians cured with herbs diseases for
which modern science knows no remedy. Doctor Nicholas Culpeper, whose
useful life ended in 1654, was probably the most famous of herbalists.
Finding that the medical systems of his day were unsatisfactory in the
extreme, Culpeper turned his attention to the plants of the fields, and
discovered a medium of healing which gained for him national renown.
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NICHOLAS CULPEPER
At that time the methods used in healing were among the secrets imparted to
initiates of the Mysteries. Unctions, collyria, philters, and potions were
concocted to the accompaniment of strange rites. The effectiveness of these
medicines is a matter of historical record. Incenses and perfumes were also
much used.
Barrett in his Magus describes the theory on which they worked, as follows:
"For, because our spirit is the pure, subtil, lucid, airy and unctuous vapour of
the blood, nothing, therefore, is better adapted for collyriums than the like
vapours which are more suitable to our spirit in substance; for then, by
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reason of their likeness, they do more stir up, attract and transform the
spirit."
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control as the result of partly self-imposed catalepsy, give messages
somewhat similar to those of the ancient prophets, but in the majority of
cases their results are far less accurate, for the soothsayers of today lack the
knowledge of Nature's hidden forces.
The Mysteries taught that during the higher degrees of initiation the gods
themselves took part in the instruction of candidates or at least were present,
which was in itself a benediction. As the deities dwelt in the invisible worlds
and came only in their spiritual bodies, it was impossible for the neophyte to
cognize them without the assistance of drugs which stimulated the
clairvoyant center of his consciousness (probably the pineal gland). Many
initiates in the ancient Mysteries stated emphatically that they had conversed
with the immortals, and had beheld the gods.
When the standards of the pagans became corrupted, a division took place in
the Mysteries. The band of truly enlightened ones separated themselves from
the rest and, preserving the most important of their secrets, vanished without
leaving a trace. The rest slowly drifted, like rudderless ships, on the rocks of
degeneracy and disintegration. Some of the less important of the secret
formul fell into the hands of the profane, who perverted them--as in the
case of the Bacchanalia, during which drugs were mixed with wine and
became the real cause of the orgies.
In certain parts of the earth it was maintained that there were natural wells,
springs, or fountains, in which the water (because of the minerals through
which it coursed) was tinctured with sacred properties. Temples were often
built near these spots, and in some cases natural caves which chanced to be
in the vicinity were sanctified to some deity.
"The aspirants to initiation, and those who came to request prophetic dreams
of the Gods, were prepared by a fast, more or less prolonged, after which
they partook of meals expressly prepared; and also of mysterious drinks,
such as the water of Lethe, and the water of Mnemosyne in the grotto of
Trophonius; or of the Ciceion in the mysteries of the Eleusinia. Different
drugs were easily mixed up with the meats or introduced into the drinks,
according to the state of mind or body into which it was necessary to throw
the recipient, and the nature of the visions he was desirous of procuring.''
(Salverte's The Occult Sciences.) The same author states that certain sects of
early Christianity were accused of using drugs for the same general purposes
as the pagans.
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The sect of the Assassins, or the Yezidees as they are more generally known,
demonstrated a rather interesting aspect of the drug problem. In the eleventh
century this order, by capturing the fortress of Mount Alamont, established
itself at Irak. Hassan Sabbah, the founder of the order, known as the "Old
Man of the Mountain, " is suspected of having controlled his followers by
the use of narcotics. Hassan made his followers believe that they were in
Paradise, where they would be forever if they implicitly obeyed him while
they were alive. De Quincey, in his Confessions of an Opium Eater,
describes the peculiar psychological effects produced by this product of the
poppy, and the use of a similar drug may have given rise to the idea of
Paradise which filled the minds of the Yezidees.
The philosophers of all ages have taught that the visible universe was but a
fractional part of the whole, and that by analogy the physical body of man is
in reality the least important part of his composite constitution. Most of the
medical systems of today almost entirely ignore the superphysical man.
They pay but scant attention to causes, and concentrate their efforts on
ameliorating effects. Paracelsus, noting the same proclivity on the part of
physicians during his day, aptly remarked: "There is a great difference
between the power that removes the invisible causes of disease, and which is
Magic, and that which causes merely external effects [to] disappear, and
which is Physic, Sorcery, and Quackery." (Translated by Franz Hartmann.)
The magic rituals used by the Egyptian priests for the curing of disease were
based upon a highly developed comprehension of the complex workings of
the human mind and its reactions upon the physical constitution. The
Egyptian and Brahmin worlds undoubtedly understood the fundamental
principle of vibrotherapeutics. By means of chants and mantras, which
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emphasized certain vowel and consonant sounds, they set up vibratory
reactions which dispelled congestions and assisted Nature in reconstructing
broken members and depleted organisms. They also applied their knowledge
of the laws governing vibration to the spiritual constitution of man; by their
intonings, they stimulated latent centers of consciousness and thereby vastly
increased the sensitiveness of the subjective nature.
In the Book of Coming Forth by Day, many of the Egyptian secrets have
been preserved to this generation. While this ancient scroll has been well
translated, only a few understand the secret: significance of its magical
passages. Oriental races have a keen realization of the dynamics of sound.
They know that every spoken word has tremendous power and that by
certain arrangements of words they can create vortices of force in the
invisible universe about them and thereby profoundly influence physical
substance. The Sacred Word by which the world was established, the Lost
Word which Masonry is still seeking, and the threefold Divine Name
symbolized by A. U. M.--the creative tone of the Hindus--all are indicative
of the veneration accorded the principle of sound.
CHEMICAL SYLLABLES
Whoever wants to know the true name and character of the materia prima shall know that out of the
combination of the above figures syllables are produced, and out of these the verbum significativum."
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Hebrew theology was divided into three distinct parts. The first was the law,
the second was the soul of the law, and the third was the soul of the soul of
the law. The law was taught to all the children of Israel; the Mishna, or the
soul of the law, was revealed to the Rabbins and teachers; but the Qabbalah,
the soul of the soul of the law, was cunningly concealed, and only the
highest initiates among the Jews were instructed in its secret principles.
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The origin of Qabbalism is a legitimate subject for controversy. Early
initiates of the Qabbalistic Mysteries believed that its principles were first
taught by God to a school of His angels before the fall of man. The angels
later communicated the secrets to Adam, so that through the knowledge
gained from an understanding of its principles fallen humanity might regain
its lost a estate. The Angel Raziel was dispatched from heaven to instruct
Adam in the mysteries of the Qabbalah. Different angels were employed to
initiate the succeeding patriarchs in this difficult science. Tophiel was the
teacher of Shem, Raphael of Isaac, Metatron of Moses, and Michael of
David. (See Faiths of the World.)
Christian D. Ginsburg has written: "From Adam it passed over to Noah, and
then to Abraham, the friend of God, who emigrated with it to Egypt, where
the patriarch allowed a portion of this mysterious doctrine to ooze out. It was
in this way that the Egyptians obtained some knowledge of it, and the other
Eastern nations could introduce it into their philosophical systems. Moses,
who was learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, was first initiated into it in the
land of his birth, but became most proficient in it during his wanderings in
the wilderness, when he not only devoted to it the leisure hours of the whole
forty years, but received lessons in it from one of the angels. * * * Moses
also initiated the seventy Elders into the secrets of this doctrine and they
again transmitted them from hand to hand. Of all who formed the unbroken
line of tradition, David and Solomon were most initiated into the Kabbalah."
(See The Kabbalah.)
According to Eliphas Levi, the three greatest books of Qabbalism are the
Sepher Yetzirah, The Book of Formation; the Sepher ha Zohar, The Book of
Splendor; and the Apocalypse, The Book of Revelation. The dates of the
writing of these books are by no means thoroughly established. Qabbalists
declare that the Sepher Yetzirah was written by Abraham. Although it is by
far the oldest of the Qabbalistic books, it was probably from the pen of the
Rabbi Akiba, A.D. 120.
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discoursing with disciples Rabbi Simeon expired, and the "Lamp of Israel"
was extinguished. His death and burial were accompanied by many
supernatural phenomena. The legend goes on to relate that the secret
doctrines of Qabbalism had been in existence since the beginning of the
world, but that Rabbi Simeon was the first man permitted to reduce them to
writing. Twelve hundred years later the books which he had compiled were
discovered and published for the benefit of humanity by Moses de Len. The
probability is that Moses de Len himself compiled the Zohar about A.D.
1305, drawing his material from the unwritten secrets of earlier Jewish
mystics. The Apocalypse, accredited to St. John the Divine, is also of
uncertain date, and the identity of its author has never been satisfactorily
proved.
Because of its brevity and because it is the key to Qabbalistic thought, the
Sepher Yetzirah is reproduced in full in this chapter. So far as is
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known, the Sepher ha Zohar has never been completely translated into
English, but it can be obtained in French. (S. L. MacGregor-Mathers
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
translated three books of the Zohar into English.) The Zohar contains a vast
number of philosophical tenets, and a paraphrase of its salient points is
embodied in this work.
Few realize the influence exerted by Qabbalism over medival thought, both
Christian and Jewish. It taught that there existed within the sacred writings a
hidden doctrine which was the key to those writings. This is symbolized by
the crossed keys upon the papal crest. Scores of learned minds began to
search for those arcane truths by which the race should be redeemed; and
that their labor was not without its reward, their subsequent writings have
demonstrated.
The Qabbalists divided the uses of their sacred science into five sections.
The Natural Qabbalah was used solely to assist the investigator in his study
of Nature's mysteries. The Analogical Qabbalah was formulated to exhibit
the relationship which exists between all things in Nature, and it revealed to
the wise that all creatures and substances were one in essence, and that man-
-the Little Universe--was a replica in miniature of God--the Great Universe.
The Contemplative Qabbalah was evolved for the purpose of revealing
through the higher intellectual faculties the mysteries of the celestial spheres.
By its aid the abstract reasoning faculties cognized the measureless planes of
infinity and learned to know the creatures existing within them. The
Astrological Qabbalah instructed those who studied its lore in the power,
magnitude, and actual substance of the sidereal bodies, and also revealed the
mystical constitution of the planet itself. The fifth, or Magical Qabbalah,
was studied by such as desired to gain control over the demons and
subhuman intelligences of the invisible worlds. It was also highly valued as
a method of healing the sick by talismans, amulets, charms, and invocations.
The Sepher Yetzirah, according to Adolph Franck, differs from other sacred
books in that it does not explain the world and the phenomena of which it is
the stage by leaning on the idea of God or by setting itself up as the
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interpreter of the supreme will. This ancient work rather reveals God by
estimating His manifold handiwork. In preparing the Sepher Yetzirah for the
consideration of the reader, five separate English translations have been
compared. The resulting form, while it embodies the salient features of each,
is not a direct translation from any one Hebrew or Latin text. Although the
purpose was to convey the spirit rather than the letter of the ancient
document, there are no wide deviations from the original rendition. So far as
known, the first translation of the Sepher Yetzirah into English was made by
the Rev. Dr. Isidor Kalisch, in 1877. (See Arthur Edward Waite.) In this
translation the Hebrew text accompanies the English words. The work of Dr.
Kalisch has been used as the foundation of the following interpretation, but
material from other authorities has been incorporated and many passages
have been rewritten to simplify the general theme.
Chapter One
1. YAH, the Lord of Hosts, the living Elohim, King of the Universe,
Omnipotent, the Merciful and Gracious God, Supreme and Extolled,
Dweller in the Height whose habitation is Eternity, who is Sublime and
Most-Holy, engraved His name and ordained (formed) and created the
Universe in thirty-two mysterious paths (stages) of wisdom (science), by
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three Sepharim, namely, Numbers, Letters, and Sounds, which are in Him
one and the same.
2. Ten Sephiroth (ten properties from the Ineffable One) and twenty-two
letters are the Foundation of all things. Of these twenty-two letters three are
called "Mothers," sewn "Double," and twelve "Simple."
3. The ten numbers (Sephiroth) out of Nothing are analogous to the ten
fingers and the ten toes: five over against five. In the center between them is
the covenant with the Only One God. In the spiritual world it is the covenant
of the voice (the Word), and in the corporeal world the circumcision of the
flesh (the rite of Abraham).
4. Ten are the numbers (of the Sephiroth) out of Nothing, ten--not nine; ten--
not eleven. Comprehend this great, wisdom, understand this knowledge and
be wise. Inquire into the mystery and ponder it. Examine all things by means
of the ten Sephiroth. Restore the Word to Its Creator and lead the Creator
back to His throne again. He is the only Formator and beside Him there is no
other. His attributes are ten and are without limit.
5. The ten ineffable Sephiroth have ten infinitudes, which are as follows:
and over them is the Lord Superlatively One, the faithful King. He rules over
all in all from His holy habitation for ages of ages.
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7. The ten Sephiroth have their end linked to their beginning and their
beginning linked to their end, cojoined as the flame is wedded to the live
coal, for the Lord is Superlatively One and to Him there is no second. Before
One what can you count?
1st. The spirit of the living Elohim, blessed and more than blessed be the
living Elohim of ages. His Voice, His Spirit, and His Word are the Holy
Spirit.
2nd. He produced air from the spirit and in the air. He formed and
established twenty-two sounds--the letters. Three of them were fundamental,
or mothers; seven were double; and twelve were simple (single); but the
spirit is the first one and above all.
3rd. Primordial water He extracted from the air. He formed therein twenty-
two letters and established them out of mud and loam, making them like a
border, putting them up like a wall, and surrounding them as with a rampart.
He poured snow upon them and it became earth, as it reads: "He said to the
snow be thou earth." (Job. xxxvii. 6.)
4th. Fire (ether) He drew forth from the water. He engraved and established
by it the Throne of Glory. He fashioned the Seraphim, the Ophanim, and the
Holy Living Creatures (Cherubim?), as His ministering angels; and with (of)
these three He formed His habitation, as it reads: "Who made His angels
spirits, His ministers a flaming fire." (Psalms civ. 4.)
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By arranging the four letters of the Great Name, , (I H V H), in the form of the Pythagorean
Tetractys, the 72 powers of the Great Name of God are manifested. The key to the problem is as follows:
. = I = 10 = 10
.. = HI = 5+10 = 15
... = VHI = 6+5+10 = 21
.... = HVHI = 5+6+5+10 = 26
The Great
Name of = 72
God
5th. He selected three consonants (I, H, V) from the simple ones--a secret
belonging to the three mothers, or first elements; ( A, M, Sh), air,
water, fire (ether). He sealed them with His spirit and fashioned them into a
Great Name and with this sealed the universe in six directions. He turned
towards the above and sealed the height with ( I, H, V).
6th. He turned towards the below and sealed the depth with( H, I, V).
9th. He turned to the right and sealed the South with ( I, V, H).
10th. He turned to the left and sealed the North with ( H, V, I).
NOTE. This arrangement of the letters of the Great Name is according to the
Rev. Dr. Isidor Kalisch.
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10. These are the ten ineffable existences out of nothing; From the spirit of
the Living God emanated air; from the air, water; from the water, fire
(ether); from the fire, the height and the depth, the East and the West, the
North and the South.
Chapter Two
1. There are twenty-two basic (sounds and) letters. Three are the first
elements (water, air, fire), fundamentals, or mothers; seven are double
letters; and twelve are simple letters. The three fundamental letters
have as their basis the balance. At one end of the scale are the virtues and at
the other the vices, placed in equilibrium by the tongue. Of the fundamental
letters ( M) is mute like the water, ( Sh) hissing like fire, ( A) a
reconciling breath between them. t
4. He fixed the twenty-two basic letters in a ring (sphere) like a wall with
two hundred and thirty-one gates, and turned the sphere forward and
backward. Turned forward, the sphere signified good; when reversed, evil.
Three letters may serve for an illustration: There is nothing better than
(O, N, G), pleasure (joy), and nothing worse than ( N, G, O), plague
(sorrow).
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example of combining the letter ( A) with all the other letters, and all the
other letters with . By speaking He created every creature and every word
by the power of One Name. As an illustration, consider the twenty-two
elementary substances from the primitive substance of . The production of
every creature from the twenty-two letters is proof that they are in reality the
twenty-two parts of one living body.
Chapter Three
4. The three Mothers, , in the universe are: air, water, and fire. Heaven
was created from the elementary fire (or ether) , the earth, comprising sea
and land, from the elementary water, , and the atmospheric air from the
elementary air, or spirit, , which establishes the balance among them. Thus
were all things produced.
5. The three Mothers, , produce in the year heat, coldness, and the
temperate state. Heat was created from fire, coldness from water, and the
temperate state from air, which equilibrates them.
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8. He let the letter ( M) predominate in primordial water, crowned it,
combined it with the other two, and sealed the earth in the universe
(including land and sea), coldness in the year, and the abdomen in man
(male and female).
Chapter Four
2. The seven double letters symbolize wisdom, riches, fertility life, power,
peace, and grace.
3. The seven double letters also signify the antitheses to which human life is
exposed. The opposite of wisdom is foolishness; of riches, poverty; of
fertility, sterility; of life, death; of power, servitude; of peace, war; and of
beauty, deformity.
4. The seven double letters point out the six dimensions, height, depth, East
and West, North and South, and the Holy Temple in the center, which
sustains them all.
5. The double letters are seven and not six, they are seven and not eight;
reflect upon this fact, search into it and reveal its hidden mystery and place
the Creator on His throne again.
7. The seven planets in the universe are: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus,
Mercury, and Moon. The seven days in the Year are the seven days of the
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week (possibly the seven creative days are meant). The seven gateways in
man (male and female) are two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and the mouth.
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3rd. He caused the letter ( D) to predominate infertility, crowned it,
combined each with the others, and formed by them the Sun in the universe,
the third day in the year, and the right nostril in man (male and female).
9. With the seven double letters He also designed seven earths, seven
heavens, seven continents, seven seas, seven rivers, seven deserts, seven
days, seven weeks (from Passover to Pentecost), and in the midst of them
His Holy Palace. There is a cycle of seven years and the seventh is the
release year, and after seven release years is the Jubilee. For this reason God
loves the number seven more than any other thing under the heavens.
10. In this manner God joined the seven double letters together. Two stones
build two houses, three stones build six houses, four stones build twenty-
four houses, five stones build 120 houses, six stones build 720 houses, and
seven stones build 5,040 houses. Make a beginning according to this
arrangement and reckon further than the mouth can express or the ear can
hear.
Chapter Five
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2. The simple letters correspond to twelve directions: east height, northeast,
east depth; south height, southeast, south depth; west height, southwest, west
depth; north height, northwest, north depth. They diverge to all eternity and
are the arms of the universe.
4, The signs of the zodiac are: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo,
Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The months of
the year are: Nisan, liar, Sivan, Tammuz, Ab, Elul, Tisri, Marcheshvan,
Kislev, Tebet, Sebat, and Adar. The organs of the human body are: two
hands, two feet, two kidneys, gall, small intestine, liver, esophagus, stomach,
and spleen.
5. NOTE. In the following twelve stanzas, Knut Stenring again differs, this
time as to the arrangement of properties:
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5th. He caused the letter ( T) to predominate in hearing, crowned it,
combined it with the others, and fashioned by them Leo (the Lion) in the
universe, the month Ab in the year, and the left kidney of the human body
(male and female).
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6. He made them as a conflict, He arranged them as provinces and drew
them up like a wall. He armed them and set one against another as in
warfare. (The Elohim did likewise in the other spheres.)
Chapter Six
2. To prove this there are three faithful witnesses: the universe, the year, and
man. There are the twelve, the balance, and the seven. Above is the Dragon,
below is the world, and lastly the heart of man; and in the midst is God who
regulates them all.
3. The first elements are air, water, and fire; the fire is above, the water is
below, and a breath of air establishes balance between them. The token is:
the fire carries the water. The letter( M) is mute; ( Sh) is hissing like fire;
there is ( A) among them, a breath of air which reconciles the two.
4. The Dragon (Tali) is in the universe like a king upon his throne; the
celestial sphere is in the year like a king in his empire; and the heart is in the
body of men like a king in warfare.
5. God also set the opposites against each other: the good against the evil,
and the evil against the good. Good proceeds from good, evil from evil; the
good purifies the bad, the bad the good. The good is reserved for the good,
and the evil for the wicked.
6. There are three of which each stands by itself: one is in the affirmative
(filled with good), one is in the negative (filled with evil), and the third
equilibrates them.
7. There are seven divided three against three, and one in the midst of them
(balance). Twelve stand in warfare: three produce love and three hatred;
three are life-givers and three are destroyers.
8. The three that cause love are the heart and the two ears; the three that
produce hatred are the liver, the gall, and the tongues; the three life-givers
are the two nostrils and the spleen; and the three destroyers are the mouth
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and the two lower openings of the body. Over all these rules God, the
faithful king, from His holy habitation in all eternity. God is One above
three, three are above seven, seven are above twelve, yet all are linked
together.
10. When the Patriarch Abraham had comprehended the great truths,
meditated upon them, and understood them perfectly, the Lord of the
Universe (the Tetragrammaton) appeared to him, called him His friend,
kissed him upon the head, and made with him a covenant. First, the covenant
was between the ten fingers of his hands, which is the covenant of the
tongue (spiritual); second, the covenant was between the ten toes of his feet,
which is the covenant of circumcision (material); and God said of him,
"Before Abraham bound the spirit of the twenty-two letters (the Thora) upon
his tongue and God disclosed to him their secrets. God permitted the letters
to be immersed in water, He burned them in the fire and imprinted them
upon the winds. He distributed them among the seven planets and gave them
to the twelve zodiacal signs.
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AIN SOPH was referred to by the Qabbalists as The Most Ancient of all the
Ancients. It was always considered as sexless. Its symbol was a closed eye.
While it may be truly said of AIN SOPH that to define It is to defile It, the
Rabbis postulated certain theories regarding the manner in which AIN
SOPH projected creations out of Itself, and they also assigned to this
Absolute Not-Being certain symbols as being descriptive, in part at least, of
Its powers. The nature of AIN SOPH they symbolize by a circle, itself
emblematic of eternity. This hypothetical circle encloses a dimensionless
area of incomprehensible life, and the circular boundary of this life is
abstract and measureless infinity.
According to this concept, God is not only a Center but also Area.
Centralization is the first step towards limitation. Therefore, centers which
form in the substances of AIN SOPH are finite because they are predestined
to dissolution back into the Cause of themselves, while AIN SOPH Itself is
infinite because It is the ultimate condition of all things. The circular shape
given to AIN SOPH signifies that space is hypothetically enclosed within a
great crystal-like globe, outside of which there is nothing, not even a
vacuum. Within this globe--symbolic of AIN SOPH--creation and
dissolution take place. Every element and principle that will ever be used in
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the eternities of Kosmic birth, growth, and decay is within the transparent
substances of this intangible sphere. It is the Kosmic Egg which is not
broken till the great day "Be With Us," which is the end of the Cycle of
Necessity, when all things return to their ultimate cause.
In the process of creation the diffused life of AIN SOPH retires from the
circumference to the center of the circle and establishes a point, which is the
first manifesting One--the primitive limitation of the all-pervading O. When
the Divine Essence thus retires from the circular boundary to the center, It
leaves behind the Abyss, or, as the Qabbalists term it, the Great Privation.
Thus, in AIN SOPH is established a twofold condition where previously had
existed but one. The first condition is the central point--the primitive
objectified radiance of the eternal, subjectified life. About this radiance is
darkness caused by the deprivation of the life which is drawn to the center to
create the first point, or universal germ. The universal AIN SOPH, therefore,
no longer shines through space, but rather upon space from an established
first point. Isaac Myer describes this process as follows: "The Ain Soph at
first was filling All and then made an absolute concentration into Itself
which produced the Abyss, Deep, or Space, the Aveer Qadmon or Primitive
Air, the Azoth; but this is not considered in the Qabbalah as a perfect void or
vacuum, a perfectly empty Space, but is thought of as the Waters or
Crystalline Chaotic Sea, in which was a certain degree of Light inferior to
that by which all the created [worlds and hierarchies] were made." (See The
Qabbalah.)
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
it cannot be broken until the lesser day "Be With Us," when mankind--like
the universe--is liberated from the Wheel of Necessity.
The name of this point is I AM, called by the Hebrews Eheieh. The
Qabbalists gave many names to this dot. On this subject Christian D.
Ginsberg writes, in substance: The dot is called the first crown, because it
occupies the highest position. It is called the aged, because it is the first
emanation. It is called the primordial or smooth point. It is called the white
head, the Long Face--Macroprosophus--and the inscrutable height, because
it controls and governs all the other emanations.
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When the white shining point had appeared, it was called Kether, which
means the Crown, and out of it radiated nine great globes, which arranged
themselves in the form of a tree. These nine together with the first crown
constituted the first system of Sephiroth. These ten were the first limitation
of ten abstract points within the nature of AIN SOPH Itself. The power of
AIN SOPH did not descend into these globes but rather was reflected upon
them as the light of the sun is reflected upon the earth and planets. These ten
globes were called the shining sapphires, and it is believed by many Rabbins
that the word sapphire is the basis of the word Sephira (the singular of
Sephiroth). The great area which had been privated by the withdrawal of
AIN SOPH into the central point, Kether, was now filled by four concentric
globes called worlds, or spheres, and the light of the ten Sephiroth was
reflected down through each of these in turn. This resulted in the
establishment of four symbolical
trees, each hearing the reflections of the ten Sephirothic globes. The 40
spheres of creation out of AIN SOPH are divided into four great world
chains, as follows:
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D 1 to D 10, Assiah, the Elemental World of Substances.
Each of these worlds has ten powers, or spheres--a parent globe and nine
others which conic out of it as emanations, each globe born out of the one
preceding. On the plane of Atziluth (A 1 to A 10), the highest and most
divine of all the created worlds, the unmanifested AIN SOPH established
His first point or dot in the Divine Sea--the three spheres of X. This dot--A
1--contains all creation within it, but in this first divine and uncontaminated
state the dot, or first manifested. God, was not considered as a personality by
the Qabbalists but rather as a divine establishment or foundation. It was
called the First Crown and from it issued the other circles of the Atziluthic
World: A 2, A 3, A 4, A 5, A 6, A 7, A 8, A 9, and A 10. In the three lower
worlds these circles are intelligences, planers, and elements, but in this first
divine world they are called the Rings of the Sacred Names.
The first ten great circles (or globes) of light which were manifested out of
AIN SOPH and the ten names of God assigned to them by the Qabbalists are
as follows:
From AIN SOPH came A 1, the First Crown, and the name of the first power
of God was Eheieh, which means I Am [That I Am].
From A 1 came A 2, the first Wisdom, and the name of the second power of
God was Jehovah, which means Essence of Being.
From A 2 came A 3, the first Understanding, and the name of the third
power of God was Jehovah Elohim, which means God of Gods.
From A 3 came A 4, the first Mercy, and the name of the fourth power of
God was El, which means God the Creator.
From A 4 came A 5, the first Severity, and the name of the fifth power of
God was Elohim Gibor, which means God the Potent.
From A 5 came A 6, the first Beauty, and the name of the sixth power of
God was Eloah Vadaath, which means God the Strong.
From A 6 came A 7, the first Victory, and the name of the seventh power of
God was Jehovah Tzaboath, which means God of Hosts.
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From A 7 came A 8, the first Glory, and the name of the eighth power of
God was Elohim Tzaboath, which means Lord God of Hosts.
From A 8 came A 9, the first Foundation, and the name of the ninth power
of God was Shaddai, El Chai, which means Omnipotent.
From A 9 came A 10, the first Kingdom, and the name of the tenth power of
God was Adonai Melekh, which means God.
From A 10 came B 1, the Second Crown, and the World of Briah was
established.
In the second world, B 1 to B 10, the order of the spheres is the Name as in
the Atziluthic World, but the ten circles of light are less brilliant and more
tangible, and are here referred to as ten great Spirits--divine creatures who
assist in the establishment of order and intelligence in the universe. As
already noted, B 1 is born out of A 10 and is included within all the spheres
superior to itself. Out of B 1 are taken nine globes--B 2, B 3, B 4, B 5, B 6,
B 7, B 8, B 9, and B 10--which constitute the World of Briah. These ten
subdivisions, however, are really the ten Atziluthic powers reflected into the
substance of the Briatic World. B 1 is the ruler of this world, for it contains
all the other rings of its own world and also the rings of the third and fourth
worlds, C and D. In the World of Briah the ten spheres of light are called the
Archangels of Briah. Their order and powers are as follows:
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From B 1 came B 2, the second Wisdom; it is called Raziel, the Herald of
Deity who revealed the mysteries of Qabbalah to Adam.
From B 3 came B 4 ' the second Mercy; it is called Tsadkiel, the justice of
God.
From B 5 came B 6, the second Beauty; it is called Michael, Like Unto God.
From B 10 came C 1, the Third Crown, and the World of Yetzirah was
established.
The ten Archangels of Briah are conceived to be ten great spiritual beings,
whose duty is to manifest the ten powers of the Great Name of God existent
in the Atziluthic World, which surrounds and interpenetrates the entire world
of creation. All things manifesting in the lower worlds exist first in the
intangible rings of the upper spheres, so that creation is, in truth, the process
of making tangible the intangible by extending the intangible into various
vibratory rates. The ten globes of Briatic power, while themselves
reflections, are mirrored downward into the third or Yetziratic World, where
still more limited in their expression they become the spiritual and invisible
zodiac which is behind the visible band of constellations. In this third world
the ten globes of the original Atziluthic World are greatly limited and
dimmed, but they are still infinitely powerful in comparison with the state of
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substance in which man dwells. In the third world, C 1 to C 10, the globes
become hierarchies of celestial creatures, called the Choirs of Yetzirah. Here
again, all are included within the ring C 1, the power which controls the
Yetziratic World and which includes within itself and controls the entire
world D. The order of the globes and the names of the hierarchies
composing them are as follows:
From C 7 came C 8, the third Glory; the Hierarchy is the Archangels, Ben
Elohim, the Sons of God.
From C 9 came C 10, the third Kingdom; the Hierarchy is Humanity, the
Ishim, the Souls of Just Men.
From C 10 came D 1, the Fourth Crown, and the World of Assiah was
established.
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From the Yetziratic World the light of the ten spheres is reflected into the
World of Assiah, the lowest of the four. The ten globes of the original
Atziluthic World here take upon themselves forms of physical matter and the
sidereal system is the result. The World of Assiah, or the elemental world of
substance, is the one into which humanity descended at the time of Adam's
fall. The Garden of Eden is the three upper worlds, and for his sins man was
forced into the sphere of substance and assumed coats of skin (bodies). All
of the spiritual forces of the upper worlds, A, B, C, when they strike against
the elements of the lower world, D, are distorted and perverted, resulting in
the creation of hierarchies of demons to correspond with the good spirits in
each of the higher worlds. In all the ancient Mysteries, matter was regarded
as the source of all evil and spirit the source of all good, for matter inhibits
and limits, often so clogging the inner perceptions that man is unable to
recognize his own divine potentialities. Since matter thus prevents humanity
from claiming its birthright, it is called the Adversary, the power of evil. The
fourth world, D, is the world of solar systems,
comprising not only the one of which the earth is a part but all the solar
systems in the universe.
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whirling fire emanates the material starry zodiac, D 2, in contradistinction to
the invisible spiritual zodiac of the Yetziratic World. From the zodiac, D 2,
are differentiated the spheres of the planets in concatenate order. The ten
spheres of the World of Assiah are as follows:
From D 5 came D 6, the fourth Beauty; Shemesh, the sphere of the Sun.
From D 9 came D 10, the Fourth Kingdom; Cholom Yosodoth, the sphere of
the Four Elements.
In the World of Assiah are to be found the demons and tempters. These are
likewise reflections of the ten great globes of Atziluth, but because of the
distortion of the images resulting from the base substances of the World of
Assiah upon which they are reflected, they become evil creatures, called
shells by the Qabbalists. There are ten hierarchies of these demons to
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correlate with the ten hierarchies of good spirits composing the Yetziratic
World. There are
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Each ring includes with in its own nature all the rings within itself and is included within the natures of all
the rings outside of itself. Thus, A 1--the primitive dot--controls and contains the thirty-nine rings which it
encloses, all of these partaking of its nature in varying degrees according to their respective dignities.
Consequently, the entire area from A 1 to D 10 inclusive is the original dot, and the rings symbolize the
divisions which took place with in it and the emanations which poured out from it after its establishment in
the midst of the abstract nature of AIN SOPH. The powers of the rings decrease towards the center of the
diagram, for Power is measured by the number of things controlled, and each ring controls the rings within
it and is controlled by the rings outside of it. Thus, while A 1 controls thirty-nine rings besides itself, B 1
controls only twenty-nine rings besides its own. Therefore, A 1 is more powerful than B 1. As the greatest
spiritual solidity, or permanence, is at the circumference and the greatest material density, or
impermanence, is at the center of the diagram, the rings as they decrease in Power become more material
and substantial until the center sphere, D 10, symbolizes the actual chemical elements of the earth. The
rates of vibration are also lower as the rings approach the center. Thus, the vibration of A 2 is lower than
A 1 but higher than A 3, and so on in decreasing scale towards the center, A 1 being the highest and D 10
the lowest sphere of creation. While A 1, the ruler of creation, controls the circles marked A, B, C, and D, it
is less than the three rings of AIN SOPH--X 1, X2, and X3--and therefore bows before the throne of the
ineffable Creator from whose substances it was individualized.
D 1, the evil Crown; the hierarchy is called Thaumiel, the doubles of God,
the Two-headed; the Archdemons are Satan and Moloch.
From D 3 came D 4, the evil Mercy; the hierarchy is called Gamchicoth, the
disturber of things; the Archdemon is Astaroth.
From D 5 came D 6, the evil Beauty; the hierarchy is called Togarini, the
wranglers; the Archdemon is Belphegor.
From D 6 came D 7, the evil Victory; the hierarchy is called Harab Serap,
the dispensing Raven; the Archdemon is Baal Chanan.
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From D 7 came D 8, the evil Glory; the hierarchy is called Samael, the
embroiler; the Archdemon is Adramelek.
From D 9 came D 10, the evil Kingdom; the hierarchy is called Nahemoth,
the impure; the Archdemon is Nahema.
The Qabbalists declare that the worlds, intelligences, and hierarchies were
established according to the vision of Ezekiel. By the man of Ezekiel's
vision is symbolized the World of Atziluth; by the throne, the World of
Briah; by the firmament, the World of Yetzirah; and by the living creatures
the World of Assiah. These spheres are the wheels within wheels of the
prophet. The Qabbalists next established a human figure in each of the four
worlds: A 1 was the head and A 10 the feet of the man of Atziluth; B 1 was
the head and B 10 the feet of the man of Briah; C 1 was the head and C 10
the feet of the man of Yetzirah; D 1 was the head and D 10 the feet of the
man of Assiah. These four are called the World Men. They are considered
androgynous and are the prototypes of humanity.
"It is not less astonishing to observe at the beginning of the Zohar the
profundity of its notions and the sublime simplicity of its images. It is said
as follows: 'The science of equilibrium is the key of occult science.
Unbalanced forces perish in the void. So passed the kings of the elder world,
the princes of the giants. They have fallen like trees without roots, and their
place is found no more. Through the conflict of unbalanced forces, the
devastated earth was void and formless, until the Spirit of God made for
itself a place in heaven and reduced the mass of waters. All the aspirations of
Nature were directed then towards unity of form, towards the living
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synthesis (if equilibrated forces; the face of God, crowned with light, rose
over the vast sea and was reflected in the waters thereof. His two eyes were
manifested, radiating with splendour, darting two beams of light which
crossed with those of the reflection. The brow of God and His eyes formed a
triangle in heaven, and its reflection formed a second triangle in the waters.
So was revealed the number six, being that of universal creation.' The text,
which would be unintelligible in a literal version, is translated here by way
of interpretation. The author makes it plain that the human form which he
ascribes to Deity is only an image of his meaning and that God is beyond
expression by human thought or representation by any figure. Pascal said
that God is a circle, of which the center is everywhere and the circumference
nowhere. But how is one to imagine a circle apart from its circumference?
The Zohar adopts the antithesis of this paradoxical image and in respect of
the circle of Pascal would say rather that the circumference is everywhere,
while that which is nowhere is the center. It is however to a balance and not
to a circle that it compares the universal equilibrium of things. It affirms that
equilibrium is everywhere and so also is the central point where the balance
hangs in suspension. We find that the Zohar is thus more forcible and more
profound than Pascal. * * * The Zohar is a genesis of light; the Sepher
Yetzirah is a ladder of truth. Therein are expounded the two-and-thirty
absolute symbols of speech--being numbers and letters. Each letter produces
a number, an idea and a form, so that mathematics are applicable to forms
and ideas, even as to numbers, in virtue of an exact proportion, and a perfect
correspondence. By the science of the Sepher Yetzirah, the human mind is
rooted in truth and in reason; it accounts for all progress possible to
intelligence by means of the evolution of numbers. Thus does the Zohar
represent absolute truth, while the Sepher Yetzirah furnishes the method of
its acquisition, its discernment and application." (History of Magic.)
By placing man himself at the point D 10, his true constitution is revealed.
He exists upon four worlds, only one of which is visible. It is then made
evident that his parts and members upon the material plane are, by analogy,
hierarchies and intelligences in the higher worlds. Here, again, the law of
interpenetration is evidenced. Although within man is the entire universe
(the 43 spheres interpenetrating D 10), he is ignorant of its existence because
he cannot exercise control over that which is superior to or greater than
himself. Nevertheless, all these higher spheres exercise control over him, as
his functions and activities demonstrate. If they did not, he would be an inert
mass of substance. Death is merely the result of deflecting the life impulses
of the higher rings away from the lower body.
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The control of the transubstantial rings over their own material reflection is
called life, and the spirit of man is, in reality, a name given to this great host
of intelligences, which are focused upon substance through a point called the
ego, established in the midst of themselves. X 1 is the outside boundary of
the human Auric Egg, and the entire diagram becomes a cross section of the
constitution of man, or a cross section of the Kosmic constitution, if
correlated with the universe. By the secret culture of the Qabbalistic School,
man is taught how to climb the rings (unfold his consciousness) until at last
he returns to AIN SOPH. The process by which this is accomplished is
called the Fifty Gates of Light. Kircher, the Jesuit Qabbalist, declares that
Moses passed through forty-nine of the gates, but that Christ alone passed
the fiftieth gate.
To the third edition of the Sepher Yetzirah translated from the Hebrew by
Wm. Wynn Westcott are appended the Fifty Gates of Intelligence emanating
from Binah, the second Sephira. The source of this information is Kircher's
dipus gyptiacus. The gates are divided into six orders, of which the first
four have each ten subdivisions, the fifth nine, and the sixth only one.
The first order of gates is termed Elementary and its divisions areas follows:
(1) Chaos, Hyle, the First Matter; (2) Formless, void, lifeless; (3) The Abyss;
(4) Origin of the Elements; (5) Earth (no seed germs); (6) Water;(7) Air;(8)
Fire;(9) Differentiation of qualities; (10) Mixture and combination.
The second order of gates is termed Decad of Evolution and its divisions
areas follows: (11) Minerals differentiate; (12) Vegetable principles appear;
(13) Seeds germinate in moisture; (14) Herbs and Trees; (15) Fructification
in vegetable life; (16) Origin of low forms of animal life; (17) Insects and
Reptiles appear; (18) Fishes, vertebrate life in the waters; (19) Birds,
vertebrate life in the air; (20) Quadrupeds, vertebrate earth animals.
The third order of gates is termed Decad of Humanity and its divisions are as
follows: (21) Appearance of Man; (22) Material human body; (23) Human
Soul conferred; (24) Mystery of Adam and Eve; (25) Complete Man as the
Microcosm; (26) Gift of five human faces acting exteriorly; (27) Gift of five
powers to the soul; (28) Adam Kadmon, the Heavenly Man; (29) Angelic
beings, (30) Man in the image of God.
The fourth order of gates is termed World of Spheres and its divisions are as
follows: (31) The Heaven of the Moon; (32) The Heaven of Mercury, (33)
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The Heaven of Venus; (34) The Heaven of the Sun; (35) The Heaven of
Mars; (36) The Heaven of Jupiter; (37) The Heaven of Saturn; (38) The
Firmament; (39) The Primum Mobile; (40) The Empyrean Heaven.
The fifth order of gates is termed The Angelic World and its divisions are as
follows: (41) Ishim--Sons of Fire; (42) Orphanim--Cherubim; (43) Aralim--
Thrones; (44) Chashmalim--Dominions; (45) Seraphim--Virtues; (46)
Melachim--Powers; (47) Elohim--Principalities; (48) Ben Elohim--Angels;
(49) Cherubim--Archangels. [The order of the Angels is a matter of
controversy, the arrangement above differing from that accepted in other
sections of this volume. The Rabbins disagree fundamentally as to the
proper sequence of the Angelic names.]
The sixth order is termed The Archetype and consists of but one gate: (50)
God, AIN SOPH, He whom no mortal eye hath seen. The fiftieth gate leads
from creation into the Creative Principle and he who passes through it
returns into the unlimited and undifferentiated condition of ALL. The fifty
gates reveal a certain evolutionary process and it was declared by the
Rabbins that he who would attain to the highest degree of understanding
must pass sequentially through all of these orders of life, each of which
constituted a gate in that the spirit, passing from the lower to the higher,
found in each more responsive organism new avenues of self-expression.
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476
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The four Qabbalistic Trees described in the preceding chapter were
combined by later Jewish scholars into one all-inclusive diagram and termed
by them not only the Sephirothic but also the Archetypal, or Heavenly,
Adam. According to some authorities, it is this Heavenly Adam, and not a
terrestrial man, whose creation is described in the opening chapters of
Genesis. Out of the substances of this divine man the universe was formed;
in him it remains and will continue even after dissolution shall resolve the
spheres back into their own primitive substance. The Deity is never
conceived of as actually contained in the Sephiroth, which are purely
hypothetical vessels employed to define the limits of the Creative Essence.
Adolph Franck rather likens the Sephiroth to varicolored transparent glass
bowls filled with pure light, which apparently assumes the color of its
containers but whose essential nature remains ever unchanged and
unchangeable.
The ten Sephiroth composing the body of the prototypic Adam, the numbers
related to them, and the parts of the universe to which they correspond are as
follows:
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garment but at the body beneath it--the intellectual and philosophical code.
The wisest of all, however, the servants of the Heavenly King, look at
nothing save the soul--the spiritual doctrine--which is the eternal and ever-
springing root of the law. Of this great truth Eliphas Levi also writes
declaring that none can gain entrance to the secret House of Wisdom unless
he wear the voluminous cape of Apollonius of Tyana and carry in his hand
the lamp of Hermes. The cape signifies the qualities of self-possession and
self-reliance which must envelope the seeker as a cloak of strength, while
the ever-burning lamp of the sage represents the illumined mind and
perfectly balanced intellect without which the mystery of the ages can never
be solved.
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Thus we obtain three trinities, each contained in a 'head.' In the first head, or
face (the three-faced Hindu Trimurti),
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480
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THE FOUR SEPHIROTHIC TREES
The forty concentric circles shown in the large circular cut in the preceding chapter are here arranged as
four trees, each consisting of ten circles. These trees disclose the organization of the hierarchies
controlling the destinies of all creation. The trees are the same in each of the four world but the powers
vested in the globes express themselves differently through the substances of each world, resulting in
endless differentiation.
we find Sephira [Kether], the first androgyne, at the apex of the upper
triangle, emitting Hachama [Chochmah], or Wisdom, a masculine and active
potency--also called Jah, --and Binah, , or Intelligence, a female and
passive potency, also represented by the name Jehovah . These three
form the first trinity or 'face' of the Sephiroth. This triad emanated Hesed,
, or Mercy, a masculine active potency, also called El, from which
emanated Geburah , or justice, also called Eloha, a feminine passive
potency; from the union of these two was produced Tiphereth ,
Beauty, Clemency, the Spiritual Sun, known by the divine name Elohim; and
the second triad, 'face,' or 'head,' was formed. These emanating, in their turn,
the masculine potency Netzah, , Firmness, or Jehovah Sabaoth, who
issued the feminine passive potency Hod,, Splendor, or Elohim Sabaoth;
the two produced Jesod, , Foundation, who is the mighty living one El-
Chai, thus yielding the third trinity or 'head.' The tenth Sephiroth is rather a
duad, and is represented on the diagrams as the lowest circle. It is Malchuth
or Kingdom, , and Shekinah, , also called Adonai, and Cherubim
among the angelic hosts. The first 'Head' is called the Intellectual world; the
second 'Head' is the Sensuous, or the world of Perception, and the third is the
material or Physical world." (See Isis Unveiled.)
Among the later Qabbalists there is also a division of the Sephirothic Tree
into five parts, in which the distribution of the globes is according to the
following order:
(1) Macroprosophus, or the Great Face, is the term applied to Kether as the
first and most exalted of the Sephiroth and includes the nine potencies or
Sephiroth issuing from Kether.
(2) Abba, the Great Father, is the term generally applied to Chochmah--
Universal Wisdom--the first emanation of Kether, but, according to Ibn
Gebirol, Chochmah represents the Son, the Logos or the Word born from the
union of Kether and Binah.
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(3) Aima, the Great Mother, is the name by which Binah, or the third
Sephira, is generally known. This is the Holy Ghost, from whose body the
generations issue forth. Being the third person of the Creative Triad, it
corresponds to Jehovah, the Demiurgus.
482
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483
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484
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Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom. Letters and numbers, according to the Qabbalists, are the keys to all
knowledge, for by a secret system of arranging them the mysteries of creation are revealed. For this reason
they are called "the Paths of Wisdom." This occult fact is carefully concealed in the 32nd degree of
Freemasonry.
There are four trees, one in each of the four worlds established in the preceding chapter. The first is in the
Atziluthic World, the ten circles being the ten globes of light established in the midst of AIN SOPH. The
powers and attributes of this Tree are reflected into each of the three lower worlds, the form of the Tree
remaining the same but its power diminishing as it descends. To further complicate their doctrine, the
Qabbalists created another tree, which was a composite of all four of the world trees but consisted of only
ten globes. In this single tree were condensed all the arcana previously scattered through the voluminous
archives of Qabbalistic literature.
According to the mysteries of the Sephiroth, the order of the Creation, or the
Divine Lightning Flash which zigzags through the four worlds according to
the order of the divine emanations, is thus described: From AIN SOPH, the
Nothing and All, the Eternal and Unconditioned Potency, issues
Macroprosophus, the Long Face, of whom it is written, "Within His skull
exist daily thirteen thousand myriads of worlds which draw their existence
from Him and by Him are upheld." (See The Greater Holy Assembly.)
Macroprosophus, the directionalized will of AIN SOPH, corresponding to
Kether, the Crown of the Sephiroth, gives birth out of Himself to the nine
lesser spheres of which He is the sum and the overbrooding cause. The 22
letters of the Hebrew alphabet, by the various combinations of which the
laws of the universe are established, constitute the scepter of
Macroprosophus which He wields from His flaming throne in the Atziluthic
World.
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There is a difference of opinion concerning certain of the relationships of the
parts of the first triad. Some Qabbalists, including Ibn Gebirol, consider
Kether as the Father, Binah as the Mother, and Chochmah as the Son. In this
later arrangement, Wisdom, which is the attribute of the Son, becomes the
creator of the lower spheres. The symbol of Binah is the dove, a proper
emblem for the brooding maternal instinct of the Universal Mother.
Because of the close similarity of their creative triad to the Christian Trinity,
the later Qabbalists rearranged the first three Sephiroth and added a
mysterious point called Daath--a hypothetical eleventh Sephira. This is
located where the horizontal line connecting Chochmah and Binah crosses
the vertical line joining Kether and Tiphereth. While Daath is not mentioned
by the first Qabbalists, it is a highly important element and its addition to the
Sephirothic Tree was not made without full realization of the significance of
such action. If Chochmah be considered the active, intelligent energy of
Kether, and Binah the receptive capacity of Kether, then Daath becomes the
thought which, created by Chochmah, flows into Binah. The postulation of
Daath clarifies the problem of the Creative Trinity, for here it is
diagrammatically represented as consisting of Chochmah (the Father), Binah
(the Mother, or Holy Ghost), and Daath, the Word by which the worlds were
established. Isaac Myer discounts the importance of Daath, declaring it a
subterfuge to conceal the fact that Kether, and not Chochmah; is the true
Father of the Creative Triad. He makes no attempt to give a satisfactory
explanation for the symbolism of this hypothetical Sephira.
According to the original conception, from the union of the Divine Father
and the Divine Mother is produced Microprosophus--the Short Face or the
Lesser Countenance, which is established in the Yetziratic World of
formation and corresponds to the letter , or V, in the Great Name. The six
powers of Microprosophus flow from and are contained in their own source,
which is Binah, the Mother of the Lesser Adam. These constitute the spheres
of the sacred planets; their name is Elohim, and they move upon the face of
the deep. The tenth Sephira--Malchuth, the Kingdom--is described as the
Bride of the Lesser Adam, created back to back with her lord, and to it is
assigned the final, , or H, the last letter of the Sacred Name. The dwelling
place of Malchuth is in the fourth world--Assiah--and it is composed of all
the superior powers reflected into the elements of the terrestrial sphere. Thus
it will be seen that the Qabbalistic Tree extends through four worlds, with its
branches in matter and its roots in the Ancient of Ancients--
Macroprosophus.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Three vertical columns support the universal system as typified by the
Sephirothic Tree. The central pillar has its foundation in Kether, the Eternal
One. It passes downward through the hypothetical Sephira, Daath, and then
through Tiphereth and Jesod, with its lower end resting upon the firm
foundation of Malchuth, the last of the globes. The true import of the central
pillar is equilibrium. It demonstrates how the Deity always manifests by
emanating poles of expression from the midst of Itself but remaining free
from the illusion of polarity. If the numbers of the four Sephiroth connected
by this column be added together (1 +6 +9 + 10), the sum is 26, the number
of Jehovah. (See chapter on Pythagorean Mathematics.)
The column on the right, which is called Jachin, has its foundation on
Chochmah, the outpouring Wisdom of God; the three globes suspended from
it are all masculine potencies. The column at the left is called Boaz. The
three globes upon it are feminine and receptive potencies, for it is founded in
Understanding, a receptive and maternal potency. Wisdom, it will be noted,
is considered as radiant or outpouring, and Understanding as receptive, or
something which is filled by the flowing of Wisdom. The three pillars are
ultimately united in Malchuth, in which all the powers of the superior worlds
are manifested.
The four globes upon the central column reveal the function of the creative
power in the various worlds. In the first world the creative power is Will--the
one Divine Cause; in the second world, the hypothetical Daath--the Word
coming forth from the Divine Thought; in the third world, Tiphereth--the
Sun, or focal point between God and Nature; in the fourth world it is
twofold, being the positive and negative poles of the reproductive system, of
which Jesod is the male and Malchuth the female.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The Tetragrammaton, or the four-lettered Name of God, written thus , is
pronounce Jehovah. The first letter is , Yod, the Germ, the Life, the Flame,
the Cause, the One, and the most fundamental of the Jewish phallic
emblems. Its numerical value is 10, and it is to be considered as the 1
containing the 10. In the Qabbalah it is declared that the a Yod is in reality
three Yods, of which the first is the beginning, the second is the center, and
the third is the end. Its throne is the Sephira Chochmah (according to Ibn
Gebirol, Kether), from which it goes forth to impregnate Binah, which is the
first , He. The result of this union is Tiphereth, which is the Vau, whose
power is 6 and which symbolizes the six members of the Lesser Adam. The
final , He, is Malchuth, the Inferior Mother, partaking in part of the
potencies of the Divine Mother, the first He. By placing the four letters of
the Tetragrammaton in a vertical column, a figure closely resembling the
human body is produced, with Yod for the head, the first He for the arms and
shoulders, Vau for the trunk of the body, and the final He for the hips and
legs. If the Hebrew letters be exchanged for their English equivalents, the
form is not materially changed or the analogy altered. It is also extremely
significant that by inserting the letter , Shin, in the middle of the name
Jehovah, the word Jehoshua, or Jesus, is formed thus:
488
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
489
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490
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By Gematria is meant not only the exchange of letters for their numerical
equivalents but also the method of determining by an analysis of its
measurements the mystic purpose for which a building or other object was
constructed. S. L. MacGregor-Mathers, in The Kabbalah Unveiled, gives
this example of the application of Gematria: "Thus also the passage, Gen.
xviii. 2 VHNH SHLSHH, Vehenna Shalisha, 'And lo, three men,' equals in
numerical value 'ALV MIKAL GBRIAL VRPAL, Elo Mikhael Gabriel Ve-
Raphael,' These are Mikhael, Gabriel and Raphael; 'for each phrase = 701."
Assuming the sides of a scalene to be 11, 9, and 6 inches, a triangle of such
dimensions would then be an appropriate symbol of Jehovah, for the sum of
its three sides would be 26, the numerical value of the Hebrew word IHVH.
Gematria also includes the system of discovering the arcane meaning of a
word by analyzing the size and arrangement of the strokes employed in the
formation of its various letters. Gematria was employed by the Greeks as
well as the Jews. The books of the New Testament--particularly those
attributed to St. John--contain many examples of its use. Nicephorus
Callistus declared the Gospel according to St. John to have been discovered
in a cavern under the Temple at Jerusalem, the volume having been secreted
"long anterior to the Christian ra." The existence of interpolated material in
the fourth Gospel substantiates the belief that the work was originally
written without any specific reference to the man Jesus, the statements
therein accredited to Him being originally mystical discourses delivered by
the personification of the Universal Mind. The remaining Johannine
writings--the Epistles and the Apocalypse--are enshrouded by a similar veil
of mystery.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
admonished their disciples never to translate, edit, or rewrite the contents of
the sacred books. .
Under the general heading of Temurah several systems may be grouped and
explained in which various letters are substituted for other letters according
to prearranged tables or certain mathematical arrangements of letters, regular
or irregular. Thus the alphabet may be broken into two equal parts and
written in horizontal lines so that the letters of the lower row can be
exchanged for those of the upper row, or vice versa. By this procedure the
letters of the word Kuzu may be exchanged for those of IHVH, the
Tetragrammaton. In another form of Temurah the letters are merely
rearranged., is the stone which is found in the center of the world, from
which point the earth spread out on all sides.
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and flames (A, B, C). A hand (K) reached out from the clouds and the prophet was ordered to eat of a scroll
which the hand held forth.
According to the mystics, the wheels supporting the throne of God represent the orbits of the planets, and
the entire solar system is properly the Mercavah, or chariot of God. One of the divisions of the Qabbalah--
that dealing with the arts and sciences of those planes which are under the heavens--is called the
Mercavah. In the Zohar it is written that the celestial throne or Ezekiel's vision signifies the traditional
law; the appearance of a man sitting upon the throne represents the written law, Philo Judus in
describing the cherubim upon the Ark of the Covenant declares that the figures are an intimation of the
revolutions of the whole heavens, one of the cherubim representing the outer circumference and the other
the inner sphere. Facing each other, they represent the two hemispheres of the world. The flaming sword of
the cherubim of Genesis is the central motion and agitation of the heavenly bodies. In all probability it also
represents the solar ray.
"After the first copy of the Book of God," writes H. P. Blavatsky, "has been
edited and launched on the world by Hilkiah, this copy disappears, and Ezra
has to make a new Bible, which Judas Maccabeus finishes; * * * when it
was copied from the horned letters into square letters, it was corrupted
beyond recognition; * * * the Masorah completed the work of destruction;
finally, we have a text, not 900 years old, abounding with omissions,
interpolations, and premeditated perversions." (See Isis Unveiled.)
Prof. Crawford Howell Toy of Harvard notes: "Manuscripts were copied and
recopied by scribes who not only sometimes made errors in letters and
words, but permitted themselves to introduce new material into the text, or
to combine in one manuscript, without mark of division, writings composed
by different men; instances of these sorts of procedure are found especially
in Micah and Jeremiah, and the groups of prophecies which go under the
names of Isaiah and Zachariah." (See Judaism and Christianity.)
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doctrine of Israel, and if the Qabbalists were correct in their assumption that
the lost books of the Mosaic Mysteries have been woven into the fabric of
the Torah, then the Scriptures are veritably books within books. In rabbinical
circles the opinion is prevalent that Christendom never has understood the
Old Testament and probably never will. In fact, the feeling exists--in some
quarters, at least--that the Old Testament is the exclusive possession of the
Jewish faith; also that Christianity, after its unrelenting persecution of the
Jew, takes unwarranted liberties when it includes strictly Jewish writings in
its sacred canon. But, as noted by one rabbi, if Christianity must use the
Jewish Scriptures, it should at least strive to do so with some degree of
intelligence!
In the opening chapter of Genesis it is stated that after creating light and
separating it from darkness, the seven Elohim divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.
Having thus established the inferior universe in perfect accord with the
esoteric teachings of the Hindu, Egyptian, and Greek Mysteries, the Elohim
next turned their attention to the production of flora and fauna and lastly
man. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. * * *
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto
them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, * * *."
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lastly, note the word "replenish." The prefix re denotes "back to an original
or former state or position," or "repetition or restoration." (See Webster's
International Dictionary, 1926.) This definite reference to a humanity
existing prior to the "creation of man" described in Genesis must be evident
to the most casual reader of Scripture.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Causal World. Consequently, only after the reestablishment of unity within
himself can man regain his primal spiritual state.
According to the Isarim, the secret doctrine of Israel taught the existence of
four Adams, each dwelling in one of the four Qabbalistic worlds. The first,
or heavenly, Adam dwelt alone in the Atziluthic sphere and within his nature
existed all spiritual and material potentialities. The second Adam resided in
the sphere of Briah. Like the first Adam, this being was androgynous and the
tenth division of its body (its heel, Malchuth) corresponded to the church of
Israel that shall bruise the serpent's head. The third Adam--likewise
androgynous--was clothed in a body of light and abode in the sphere of
Yetzirah. The fourth Adam was merely the third Adam after the fall into the
sphere of Assiah, at which time the spiritual man took upon himself the
animal shell or coat of skins. The fourth Adam was still considered as a
single individual, though division had taken place within his nature and two
shells or physical bodies existed, in one of which was incarnated the
masculine and in the other the feminine potency. (For further details consult
Isaac Myer.)
In his recent work, Judaism, George Foote Moore thus describes the
proportions of the Adamic man: "He was a huge mass that filled the whole
world to all the points of the compass. The dust of which his body was
formed was gathered from every part of the world, or from the site of the
future altar. Of greater interest is the notion that man was created
androgynous, because it is probably a bit of foreign lore adapted to the first
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pair in Genesis. R. Samuel bar Nahman (third century), said, when God
created Adam, He created him facing both ways ( ;) then He sawed
him in two and made two backs, one for each figure.
The Zohar holds the concept of two Adams: the first a divine being who,
stepping forth from the highest original darkness, created the second, or
earthly, Adam in His own image. The higher, or celestial, man was the
Causal sphere With its divine potencies and potentialities considered as a
gigantic personality; its members, according to the Gnostics, being the basic
elements of existence. This Adam may have been symbolized as facing both
ways to signify that with one face it looked upon the proximate Cause of
itself and with the other face looked upon the vast sea of Cosmos into which
it was to be immersed.
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reunited with his wife and after his death his body was brought to Jerusalem
subsequent to the Flood for burial by Melchizedek. (See the Koran.)
The word ADM signifies a species or race and only for lack of proper
understanding has Adam been considered as an individual. As the
Macrocosm, Adam is the gigantic Androgyne, even the Demiurgus; as the
Microcosm, he is the chief production of the Demiurgus and within the
nature of the Microcosm the Demiurgus established all the qualities and
powers which He Himself possessed. The Demiurgus, however, did not
possess immortality and, therefore, could not bestow it upon Adam.
According to legend, the Demiurgus strove to keep man from learning the
incompleteness of his Maker. The Adamic man consequently partook of the
qualities and characteristics of the angels who were the ministers of the
Demiurgus. It was affirmed by the Gnostic Christians that the redemption of
humanity was assured through the descent of Nous (Universal Mind), who
was a great spiritual being superior to the Demiurgus and who, entering into
the constitution of man, conferred conscious immortality upon the
Demiurgic fabrications.
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upon the letters of the name Adam (ADM). These three letters form the
initials of the names Adam, David, and the Messiah, and these three
personalities were said to contain one soul. As this soul represents the World
Soul of humanity, Adam signifies the involving soul, the Messiah the
evolving soul, and David that condition of the soul termed epigenesis.
In the ritualism of the early Jewish Mysteries the pageantry of creation was
enacted, the various actors impersonating the Creative Agencies. The red
dirt from which the Adamic man was fashioned may signify fire,
particularly since Adam is related to the Yod, or fire flame, which is the first
letter of the sacred name Jehovah. In John ii. 20 it is written that the Temple
was forty and six years in the building, a statement in which St. Augustine
sees a secret and sacred Gematria; for, according to the Greek philosophy of
numbers, the numerical value of the name Adam is 46. Adam thus becomes
the type of the Temple, for the House of God-like primitive man--was a
microcosm or epitome of the universe.
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The diagram shown above is also reproduced in The Rosicrucians, by Hargrave Jennings. This author adds
to the original diagram appearing in Antiquitatum Judaicarum Libri IX the signs of the zodiac, placing
Aries at the head and continuing in sequential order to Leo, which occupies the fifth cross section of the
ark. Jennings assigns the panel containing the door to the undivided constellation of Virgo-Libra-Scorpio
(which is continued into the first subdivision of the second section) and the remaining four cress sections to
the constellations of Sagittarius to Pisces inclusive. A study of the plate discloses the ark to be divided into
eleven main sections, and along the base and roof of each section are shown three subdivisions, thus
making in all the sacred number 33. Occupying the position corresponding to the generative system of the
human body will also be noted the cross upon the door of the central section. Two openings are shown in
the ark: one--the main door representing the orifice through which the animal lives descend into physical
existence; the other a small window proximate to the crown of the head through which the spirit gains
liberty according to the ancient rites.
"When the androgenic Scorpio-Virgo was separated and the Balance or Harmony made from Scorpio, and
placed between Scorpio, i.e., male, and Virgo, i.e., female, then appeared the 32 constellations or signs, as
we now have them. The ark is three stories high (perhaps to symbolize Heaven, Man, Earth). In the figure
of the Man, notice the parting of the hair in the middle of the forehead and the arrangement of the beard,
whiskers, moustache and the hair, on the back of the neck and shoulders." (See The Qabbalah by Isaac
Myer.)
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Eve out of the side of Adam; for Adam, representative of the idea or pattern,
is reflected into the material universe as a multitude of ensouled images
which collectively are designated Eve. According to another theory, the
division of the sexes took place in the archetypal sphere; hence the shadows
in the lower world were divided into two classes consistent with the orders
established in the Archetype. In the apparently incomprehensible attraction
of one sex for the other Plato recognized a cosmic urge toward reunion of
the severed halves of this archetypal Being.
According to the other school, the so-called division of the sexes resulted
from suppression of one pole of the androgynous being in order that the vital
energies manifesting through it might be diverted to development of the
rational faculties. From this point of view man is still actually androgynous
and spiritually complete, but in the material world the feminine part of man's
nature and the masculine part of woman's nature are quiescent. Through
spiritual unfoldment and knowledge imparted by the Mysteries, however, the
latent element in each nature is gradually brought into activity and ultimately
the human being thus regains sexual equilibrium. By this theory woman is
elevated from the position of being man's errant part to one of complete
equality. From this point of view, marriage is regarded as a companionship
in which two complete individualities manifesting opposite polarities are
brought into association that each may thereby awaken the qualities latent in
the other and thus assist in the attainment of individual completeness. The
first theory may be said to regard marriage as an end; the second as a means
to an end. The deeper schools of philosophy have leaned toward the latter as
more adequately acknowledging the infinite potentialities of divine
completeness in both aspects of creation.
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The Christian Church is fundamentally opposed to the theory of marriage,
claiming that the highest degree of spirituality is achievable only by those
preserving the virginal state. This concept seemingly originated among
certain sects of the early Gnostic Christians, who taught that to propagate the
human species was to increase and perpetuate the power of the Demiurgus;
for the lower world was looked upon as an evil fabrication created to ensnare
the souls of all born into it--hence it was a crime to assist in bringing souls to
earth. When, therefore, the unfortunate father or mother shall stand before
the Final Tribunal, all their offspring will also appear and accuse them of
being the cause of those miseries attendant upon physical existence. This
view is strengthened by the allegory of Adam and Eve, whose sin through
which humanity has been brought low is universally admitted to have been
concerned with the mystery of generation. Mankind, owing to Father Adam
its physical existence, regards its progenitor as the primary cause of its
misery; and in the judgment Day, rising up as a mighty progeny, will accuse
its common paternal ancestor.
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intellectualism--in fact every form of knowledge--as fatal to man's spiritual
growth. The Ignaratitine Friars are an outstanding example of this attitude.
Man, the banished Adam, seeks to pass from the outer court of the Sanctuary
(the exterior universe) into the sanctum sanctorum, but before him rises a
vast creature armed with a flashing sword that, moving slowly but
continually, sweeps clear a wide circle, and through this "Ring Pass Not" the
Adamic man cannot break.
The cherubim address the seeker thus: "Man, thou art dust and to dust thou
shalt return. Thou wert fashioned by the Builder of Forms; thou belongest to
the sphere of form, and the breath that was breathed into thy soul was the
breath of form and like a flame it shall flicker out. More than thou art thou
canst not be. Thou art a denizen of the outer world and it is forbidden thee to
enter this inner place."
And the Adam replies: "Many times have I stood within this courtyard and
begged admission to my Father's house and thou hast refused it me and sent
me back to wander in darkness. True it is that I was fashioned out of the dirt
and that my Maker could not confer upon me the boon of immortality. But
no more shalt thou send me away; for, wandering in the darkness, I have
discovered that the Almighty hath decreed my salvation because He hath
sent out of the most hidden Mystery His Only Begotten who didst take upon
Himself the world fashioned by the Demiurgus. Upon the elements of that
world was He crucified and from Him hath poured forth the blood of my
salvation. And God, entering into His creation, hath quickened it and
established therein a road that leadeth to Himself. While my Maker could
not give me immortality, immortality was inherent in the very dust of which
I was composed, for before the world was fabricated and before the
Demiurgus became the Regent of Nature the Eternal Life had impressed
itself upon the face of Cosmos. This is its sign--the Cross. Do you now deny
me entrance, I who have at last learned the mystery of myself?"
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And the voice replies: "He who is aware, IS! Behold!"
Gazing about him, Adam finds himself in a radiant place, in the midst of
which stands a tree with flashing jewels for fruit and entwined about its
trunk a flaming, winged serpent crowned with a diadem of stars. It was the
voice of the serpent that had spoken.
"I," the serpent answers, "am Satan who was stoned; I am the Adversary--the
Lord who is against you, the one who pleads for your destruction before the
Eternal Tribunal. I was your enemy upon the day that you were formed; I
have led you into temptation; I have delivered you into the hands of evil; I
have maligned you; I have striven ever to achieve your undoing. I am the
guardian of the Tree of Knowledge and I have sworn that none whom I can
lead astray shall partake of its fruits."
The Adam replies: "For uncounted ages have I been thy servant. In my
ignorance I listened to thy words and they led me into paths of sorrow. Thou
hast placed in my mind dreams of power, and when I struggled to realize
those dreams they brought me naught but pain. Thou hast sowed in me the
seeds of desire, and when I lusted after the things of the flesh agony was my
only recompense. Thou hast sent me false prophets and false reasoning, and
when I strove to grasp the magnitude of Truth I found thy laws were false
and only dismay rewarded my strivings. I am done with thee forever, O
artful Spirit! I have tired of thy world of illusions. No longer will I labor in
thy vineyards of iniquity. Get thee behind me, rempter, and the host of thy
temptations. There is no happiness, no peace, no good, no future in the
doctrines of selfishness, hate, and passion preached by thee. All these things
do I cast aside. Renounced is thy rule forever!"
And the serpent makes answer: "Behold, O Adam, the nature of thy
Adversary!" The serpent disappears in a blinding sunburst of radiance and in
its place stands an angel resplendent in shining, golden garments with great
scarlet wings that spread from one corner of the heavens to the other.
Dismayed and awestruck, the Adam falls before the divine creature.
"I am the Lord who is against thee and thus accomplishes thy salvation, "
continues the voice. "Thou hast hated me, but through the ages yet to be thou
shalt bless me, for I have led thee our of the sphere of the Demiurgus; I have
turned thee against the illusion of worldliness; I have weaned thee of desire;
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I have awakened in thy soul the immortality of which I myself partake.
Follow me, O Adam, for I am the Way, the Life, and the Truth!"
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Through the Gypsies the Tarot cards may be traced back to the religious
symbolism of the ancient Egyptians. In his remarkable work, The Gypsies,
Samuel Roberts presents ample proof of their Egyptian origin. In one place
he writes: "When Gypsies originally arrived in England is very uncertain.
They are first noticed in our laws, by several statutes against them in the
reign of Henry VIII.; in which they are described as 'an outlandish people,
calling themselves Egyptians,--who do not profess any craft or trade, but go
about in great numbers, * * *.'" A curious legend relates that after the
destruction of the Serapeum in Alexandria, the large body of attendant
priests banded themselves together to preserve the secrets of the rites of
Serapis. Their descendants (Gypsies) carrying with them the most precious
of the volumes saved from the burning library--the Book of Enoch, or Thoth
(the Tarot)--became wanderers upon the face of the earth, remaining a
people apart with an ancient language and a birthright of magic and mystery.
Court de Gbelin believed the word Tarot itself to be derived from two
Egyptian words, Tar, meaning "road," and Ro, meaning "royal." Thus the
Tarot constitutes the royal road to wisdom. (See Le Monde Primitif.) In his
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History of Magic, P. Christian, the mouthpiece of a certain French secret
society, presents a fantastic account of a purported initiation into the
Egyptian Mysteries wherein the 22 major Tarots assume the proportions of
trestleboards of immense size and line a great gallery. Stopping before each
card in turn, the initiator described its symbolism to the candidate. Edouard
Schur, whose source of information was similar to that of Christian's, hints
at the same ceremony in his chapter on initiation into the Hermetic
Mysteries. (See The Great Initiates.) While the Egyptians may well have
employed the Tarot cards in their rituals, these French mystics present no
evidence other than their own assertions to support this theory. The validity
also of the so-called Egyptian Tarots now in circulation has never been
satisfactorily established. The drawings are not only quite modem but the
symbolism itself savors of French rather than Egyptian influence.
Many symbols appearing upon the Tarot cards have definite Masonic
interest. The Pythagorean numerologist will also find an important
relationship to exist between the numbers on the cards and the designs
accompanying the numbers. The Qabbalist will be immediately impressed
by the significant sequence of the cards, and the alchemist will discover
certain emblems meaningless save to one versed in the divine chemistry of
transmutation and regeneration.' As the Greeks placed the letters of their
alphabet--with their corresponding numbers--upon the various parts of the
body of their humanly represented Logos, so the Tarot cards have an analogy
not only in the parts and members of the universe but also in the divisions of
the human body.. They are in fact the key to the magical constitution of man.
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Nature; (2) in relation to each other as the effect of one agent operating upon
another; and (3) as vowels and consonants of a philosophic alphabet. The
laws governing all phenomena are represented by the symbols upon the
Tarot cards, whose numerical values are equal to the numerical equivalents
of the phenomena. As every structure consists of certain elemental parts, so
the Tarot cards represent the components of the structure of philosophy.
Irrespective of the science or philosophy with which the student is working,
the Tarot cards can be identified with the essential constituents of his
subject, each card thus being related to a specific part according to
mathematical and philosophical laws. "An imprisoned person," writes
Eliphas Levi, "with no other book than the Tarot, if he knew how to use it,
could in a few years acquire universal knowledge, and would be able to
speak on all subjects with unequalled learning and inexhaustible eloquence.
" (See Transcendental Magic.)
Most writers on the Tarot (Mr. Waite a notable exception) have proceeded
upon the hypothesis that the 22 major trumps represent the letters of the
Hebrew alphabet. This supposition is based upon nothing more substantial
than the coincidence that both consist of 22 parts. That Postel, St. Martin,
and Levi all wrote books divided into sections corresponding to the major
Tarots is an interesting sidelight on the subject. The major trump cards
portray incidents from the Book of Revelation; and the Apocalypse of St.
John is also divided into 22 chapters. Assuming the Qabbalah to hold the
solution to the Tarot riddle, seekers have often ignored other possible lines
of research. The task, however, of discovering the proper relationship
sustained by the Tarot trumps to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the
Paths of Wisdom thus far has not met with any great
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measure of success. The major trumps of the Tarot and the 22 letters of the
Hebrew alphabet cannot be synchronized without first fixing the correct
place of the unnumbered, or zero, card--Le Mat, the Fool. Levi places this
card between the 20th and 21st Tarots, assigning to it the Hebrew letter Shin
(). The same order is followed by Papus, Christian, and Waite, the last,
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however, declaring this arrangement to be incorrect. Westcott makes the
zero card the 22nd of the Tarot major trumps. On the other hand, both Court
de Gbelin and Paul Case place the unnumbered card before the first
numbered card of the major trumps, for if the natural order of the numbers
(according to either the Pythagorean or Qabbalistic system) be adhered to,
the zero card must naturally precede the number 1.
This does not dispose of the problem, however, for efforts to assign a
Hebrew letter to each Tarot trump in sequence produce an effect far from
convincing. Mr. Waite, who reedited the Tarot, expresses himself thus: "I
am not to be included among those who are satisfied that there is a valid
correspondence between Hebrew letters and Tarot Trump symbols." (See
introduction to The Book of Formation by Knut Stenring.) The real
explanation may be that the major Tarots no longer are in the same sequence
as when they formed the leaves of Hermes' sacred book, for the Egyptians--
or even their Arabian successors--could have purposely confused the cards
so that their secrets might be better preserved. Mr. Case has developed a
system which, while superior to most, depends largely upon two debatable
points, namely, the accuracy of Mr. Waite's revised Tarot and the
justification for assigning the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet to the
unnumbered, or zero, card. Since Aleph (the first Hebrew letter) has the
numerical value of 1, its assignment to the zero card is equivalent to the
statement that zero is equal to the letter Aleph and therefore synonymous
with the number 1.
With rare insight, Court de Gbelin assigned the zero card to AIN SOPH, the
Unknowable First Cause. As the central panel of the Bembine Table
represents the Creative Power surrounded by seven triads of manifesting
divinities, so may the zero card represent that Eternal Power of which the 21
surrounding or manifesting aspects are but limited expressions. If the 21
major trumps be considered as limited forms existing in the abstract
substance of the zero card, it then becomes their common denominator.
Which letter, then, of the Hebrew alphabet is the origin of all the remaining
letters? The answer is apparent: Yod. In the presence of so many
speculations, one more may not offend. The zero card--Le Mat, the Fool--
has been likened to the material universe because the mortal sphere is the
world of unreality. The lower universe, like the mortal body of man, is but a
garment, a motley costume, well likened to cap and bells. Beneath the
garments of the fool is the divine substance, however, of which the jester is
but a shadow; this world is a Mardi Gras--a pageantry of divine sparks
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masked in the garb of fools. Was not this zero card (the Fool) placed in the
Tarot deck to deceive all who could not pierce the veil of illusion?
If Le Mat be placed before the first card of the Tarot deck and the others laid
out in a horizontal line in sequence from left to right, it will be found that the
Fool is walking toward the other trumps as though about to pass through the
various cards. Like the spiritually hoodwinked and bound neophyte, Le Mat
is about to enter upon the supreme adventure--that of passage through the
gates of the Divine Wisdom. If the zero card be considered as extraneous to
the major trumps, this destroys the numerical analogy between these cards
and the Hebrew letters by leaving one letter without a Tarot correspondent.
In this event it will be necessary to assign the missing letter to a hypothetical
Tarot card called the elements, assumed to have been broken up to form the
56 cards of the minor trumps. It is possible that each of the major trumps
may be subject to a similar division.
The first numbered major trump is called Le Bateleur, the juggler, and
according to Court de Gbelin, indicates the entire fabric of creation to be
but a dream, existence a juggling of divine elements, and life a perpetual
game of hazard. The seeming miracles of Nature are but feats of cosmic
legerdemain. Man is like the little ball in the hands of the juggler, who
waves his wand and, presto! the ball vanishes. The world looking on does
not realize that the vanished article is still cleverly concealed by the juggler
in the hollow of his hand. This is also the Adept whom Omar Khayym calls
"the master of the show." His message is that the wise direct the phenomena
of Nature and are never deceived thereby.
The magician stands behind a table on which are spread out a number of
objects, prominent among them a cup--the Holy Grail and the cup placed by
Joseph in Benjamin's sack; a coin--the tribute money and the wages of a
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Master Builder, and a sword, that of Goliath and also the mystic blade of the
philosopher which divides the false from the true. The magician's hat is in
the form of the cosmic lemniscate, signifying the first motion of creation.
His right hand points to the earth, his left holds aloft the rod of Jacob and
also the staff that budded--the human spine crowned with the globe of
creative intelligence. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the magician wears an
urus or golden band around his forehead, the table before him is in the
form of a perfect cube, and his girdle is the serpent of eternity devouring its
own tail.
The second numbered major trump is called La Papesse, the Female Pope,
and has been associated with a curious legend of the only woman who ever
sat in the pontifical chair. Pope Joan is supposed to have accomplished this
by masquerading in malt attire, and was stoned to death when her subterfuge
was discovered. This card portrays a seated woman crowned with a tiara
surmounted by a lunar crescent. In her lap is the Tora, or book of the Law
(usually partly closed), and in her left hand are the keys to the secret
doctrine, one gold and the other silver. Behind her rise two pillars (Jachin
and Boaz) with a multicolored veil stretched between. Her throne stands
upon a checker-hoard floor. A figure called Juno is occasionally substituted
for La Papesse. like the female hierophant of the Mysteries of Cybele, this
symbolic figure personifies the Shekinah, or Divine Wisdom. In the pseudo-
Egyptian Tarot the priestess is veiled, a reminder that the full countenance
truth is not revealed to uninitiated man. A veil also covers one-half of her
book, thus intimating that but one-half of the mystery of being can be
comprehended.
The third numbered major trump is called L'Impratrice, the Empress, and
has been likened to the "woman clothed with the sun" described in the
Apocalypse. On this card appears the winged figure of a woman seated upon
a throne, supporting with her right hand a shield emblazoned with a phnix
and holding in her left a scepter surmounted by an orb or trifoliate flower.
Beneath her left foot is sometimes shown the crescent. Either the Empress is
crowned or her head is surrounded by a diadem of stars; sometimes both.
She is called Generation, and represents the threefold spiritual world out of
which proceeds the fourfold material world. To the graduate of the College
of the Mysteries she is the Alma Mater out of whose body the initiate has
"born again." In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the Empress is shown seated
upon a cube filled with eyes and a bird is balanced upon the forefinger other
left hand. The upper part of her body is surrounded by a radiant golden
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nimbus. Being emblematic of the power from which emanates the entire
tangible universe, L'Impratrice is frequently symbolized as pregnant.
The fourth numbered major trump is called L'Empereur, the Emperor, and
by its numerical value is directly associated with the great Deity revered by
the Pythagoreans under the form of the tetrad. His symbols declare the
Emperor to be the Demiurgus, the Great King of the inferior world. The
Emperor is dressed in armor and his throne is a cube stone, upon which a
phnix is also clearly visible. The king has his legs crossed in a most
significant manner and carries either a scepter surmounted by an orb or a
scepter in his right hand and an orb n his left. The orb itself is evidence that
he is supreme ruler of the world. Upon his right and left breasts respectively
appear the symbols of the sun and moon, which in symbolism are referred to
as the eyes of the Great King. The position of the body and legs forms the
symbol of sulphur, the sign of the ancient alchemical monarch. In the
pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the figure is in profile. He wears a Masonic apron
and the skirt forms s right-angled triangle. Upon his head is the Crown of the
North and his forehead is adorned wit the coiled urus.
The fifth numbered major trump is called Le Pape, the Pope, and represents
the high priest of a pagan or Christian Mystery school. In this card the
hierophant wears the tiara and carries in his left hand the triple cross
surmounting the globe of the world. His right hand, bearing upon its back
the stigmata, makes "the ecclesiastic sign of esotericism," and before him
kneel two suppliants or acolytes. The back of the papal throne is in the form
of a celestial and a terrestrial column. This card signifies the initiate or
master of the mystery of life and according to the Pythagoreans, the spiritual
physician. The illusionary universe in the form of the two figures (polarity)
kneels before the throne upon which sits the initiate who has elevated his
consciousness to the plane of spiritual understanding and reality. In the
pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the Master wears the urus. A white and a black
figure--life and death, light and darkness, good and evil--kneel before him.
The initiate's mastery over unreality is indicated by the tiara and the triple
cross, emblems of rulership over the three worlds which have issued from
the Unknowable First Cause.
The sixth numbered major trump is called L'Amoureux, the Lovers. There
are two distinct forms of this Tarot. One shows a marriage ceremony in
which a priest is uniting a youth and a maiden (Adam and Eve?) in holy
wedlock. Sometimes a winged figure above transfixes the lovers with his
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dart. The second form of the card portrays a youth with a female figure on
either side. One of these figures wears a golden crown and is winged, while
the other is attired in the flowing robes of the bacchante and on her head is a
wreath of vine leaves. The maidens represent the twofold soul of man
(spiritual and animal), the first his guardian angel and the second his ever-
present demon. The youth stands at the beginning of mature life, "the Parting
of the Ways," where he must choose between virtue and vice, the eternal and
the temporal. Above, in a halo of light, is the genius of Fate (his star),
mistaken for Cupid by the uninformed. If youth chooses unwisely, the arrow
of blindfolded Fate will transfix him. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the
arrow of the genius points directly to the figure of vice, thereby signifying
that the end of her path is destruction. This card reminds man that the price
of free will--or, more correctly, the power of choice--is responsibility.
The seventh numbered major trump is called Le Chariot, the Chariot, and
portrays a victorious warrior crowned and riding in a chariot drawn by black
and white sphinxes or horses. The starry canopy of the chariot is upheld by
four columns. This card signifies the Exalted One who rides in the chariot of
creation. The vehicle of the solar energy being numbered seven reveals the
arcane truth that the seven planers are the chariots of the solar power which
rides victorious in their midst. The four columns supporting the canopy
represent the four Mighty Ones who uphold the worlds represented by the
star-strewn drapery. The figure carries the scepter of the solar energy and its
shoulders are ornamented with lunar crescents--the Urim. and Thummim.
The sphinxes drawing the chariot resent the secret and unknown power by
which the victorious ruler is moved continuously through the various parts
of his universe. In certain Tarot decks the victor signifies the regenerated
man, for the body of the chariot is a cubic stone. The man in armor is not
standing in the chariot but is rising out of the cube, thus typifying the
ascension of the 3 out of the 4--the turning upward of the flap of the Master
Mason's apron. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the warrior carries the curved
sword of Luna, is bearded to signify maturity, and wears the collar of the
planetary orbits. His scepter (emblematic of the threefold universe) is
crowned with a square upon which is a circle surmounted by a triangle.
The eighth numbered major trump is called La Justice, Justice, and portrays
a seated figure upon a throne, the back of which rises in the form of two
columns. Justice is crowned and carries in her right hand a sword and in her
left a pair of scales. This card is a reminder of the judgment of the soul in the
hall of Osiris. It teaches that only balanced forces can endure and that eternal
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
justice destroys with the sword that which is unbalanced. Sometimes justice
is depicted with a braid of her own hair twisted around her neck in a manner
resembling a hangman's knot. This may subtly imply that man is the cause of
his own undoing, his actions (symbolized by his hair) being the instrument
of his annihilation. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the figure of Justice is
raised upon a dais of three steps, for justice can be fully administered only
by such as have been elevated to the third degree. Justice is blindfolded, that
the visible shall in no way influence its decision. (For reasons he considers
beyond his readers' intelligence, Mr. Waite reversed the eighth and eleventh
major trumps.)
The ninth numbered major trump is called L'Hermite, the Hermit, and
portrays an aged man, robed in a monkish habit and cowl, leaning on a staff.
This card was popularly supposed to represent Diogenes in his quest for an
honest man. In his right hand the recluse carries a lamp which he partly
conceals within the folds of his cape. The hermit thereby personifies the
secret organizations which for uncounted centuries have carefully concealed
the light of the Ancient Wisdom from the profane. The staff of the hermit is
knowledge, which is man's main and only enduring support. Sometimes the
mystic rod is divided by knobs into seven sections, a subtle reference to the
mystery of the seven sacred centers along the human spine. In the pseudo-
Egyptian Tarot the hermit shields the lamp behind a rectangular cape to
emphasize the philosophic truth that wisdom, if exposed to the fury of
ignorance, would be destroyed like the tiny flame of a lamp unprotected
from the storm. Man's bodies form a cloak through which his divine nature
is faintly visible like the flame of the partly covered lantern. Through
renunciation--the Hermetic life--man attains depth of character and
tranquility of spirit.
The tenth numbered major trump is called La Roue de Fortune, the Wheel of
Fortune, and portrays a mysterious wheel with eight spokes--the familiar
Buddhist symbol of the Cycle of Necessity. To its rim cling Anubis and
Typhon--the principles of good and evil. Above sits the immobile sphinx,
carrying the sword of Justice and signifying the perfect equilibrium of
Universal Wisdom. Anubis is shown rising and Typhon descending; but
when Typhon reaches the bottom, evil ascends again, and when Anubis
reaches the top good wanes once more. The Wheel of Fortune represents the
lower universe as a whole with Divine Wisdom (the sphinx) as the eternal
arbiter between good and evil. In India, the chakra, or wheel, is associated
with the life centers either of a world or of an individual. In the pseudo-
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Egyptian Tarot the Sphinx is armed with a javelin, and Typhon is being
thrown from the wheel. The vertical columns, supporting the wheel and so
placed that but one is visible, represent the axis of the world with the
inscrutable sphinx upon its northern pole. Sometimes the wheel with its
supports is in a boat upon the water. The water is the Ocean of Illusion,
which is the sole foundation of the Cycle of Necessity.
The twelfth numbered major trump is called Le Pendu, the Hanged Man, an
portrays a young man hanging by his left leg from a horizontal beam, the
latter supported by two tree trunks from each of which six branches have
been removed. The right leg of the youth is crossed in back of the left and
his arms are folded behind his back in such a way as to form a cross
surmounting a downward pointing triangle. The figure thus forms an
inverted symbol of sulphur and, according to Levi, signifies the
accomplishment of the magnum opus. In some decks the figure carries under
each arm a money bag from which coins are escaping. Popular tradition
associates this card with Judas Iscariot, who is said to have gone forth and
hanged himself, the money bags representing the payment he received for
his crime.
Levi likens the hanged man to Prometheus, the Eternal Sufferer, further
declaring that the upturned feet signify the spiritualization of the lower
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nature. It is also possible that the inverted figure denotes the loss of the
spiritual faculties, for the head is below the level of the body. The stumps of
the twelve branches are the signs of the zodiac divided into two groups--
positive and negative. The picture therefore depicts polarity temporarily
triumphant over the spiritual principle of equilibrium. To attain the heights
of philosophy, therefore, man must reverse (or invert) the order of his life.
He then loses his sense of personal possession because he renounces the rule
of gold in favor of the golden rule. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the hanged
man is suspended between two palm trees and signifies the Sun God who
dies perennially for his world.
The thirteenth numbered major trump is called La Mort, Death, and portrays
a reaping skeleton with a great scythe cutting off the heads, hands, and feet
rising out of the earth about it. In the course of its labors the skeleton has
apparently cut off one of its own feet. Not all Tarot decks show this
peculiarity, but this point well emphasizes the philosophic truth that
unbalance and destructiveness are synonymous. The skeleton is the proper
emblem of the first and supreme Deity because it is the foundation of the
body, as the Absolute is the foundation of creation. The reaping skeleton
physically signifies death but philosophically that irresistible impulse in
Nature which causes every being to be ultimately absorbed into the divine
condition in which it existed before the illusionary universe had been
manifested. The blade of the scythe is the moon with its crystallizing power.
The field in which death reaps is the universe, and the card discloses that all
things growing out of the earth shall be cut down and return to earth again.
Kings, Queens, courtesans, and knaves are alike to death, the master of the
visible and a parent parts of all creatures. In some Tarot decks death is
symbolized as a figure in armor mounted on a white horse which tramples
under foot old and young alike. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot a rainbow is
seen behind the figure of death, thus signifying that the mortality of the body
of itself achieves the immortality of the spirit. Death, though it destroys
form, can never destroy life, which continually renews itself. This card is the
symbol of the constant renovation of the universe--disintegration that
reintegration may follow upon a higher level of expression.
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takes the form of the symbol of Aquarius. Not one drop, however, of the
living water is lost in this endless transference between the superior vessel
and the inferior. When the lower urn is filled the vases are reversed, thus
signifying that life pours first from the invisible into the visible, then from
the visible back into the invisible. The spirit controlling this flow is an
emissary of the great Jehovah, Demiurgus of the world. The sun, or light
cluster, upon the woman's forehead controls the flow of water, which, being
drawn upward into the air by the solar rays, descends upon the earth as rain,
to drawn up and fall again ad infinitum. Herein is also shown the passage of
the human life forces back and forth between positive and negative poles of
the creative system. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the symbolism is the
same, except that the winged figure is male instead of female. It is
surrounded by a solar nimbus and pours water from a golden urn into a
silver one, typifying the descent of celestial forces into the sublunary
spheres.
The fifteenth numbered major trump is called Le Diable, the Devil, and
portrays a creature resembling Pan with the horns of a ram or deer, the arms
and body of a man, and the legs and feet of a goat or dragon. The figure
stands upon a cubic stone, to a ring in the front of which are chained two
satyrs. For a scepter this so-called demon carries a lighted torch or candle.
The entire figure is symbolic of the magic powers of the astral light, or
universal mirror, in which the divine forces are reflected in an inverted, or
infernal, state. The demon is winged like a bar, showing that it pertains to
the nocturnal, or shadow inferior sphere. The animal natures of man, in the
form of a male and a female elemental, are chained to its footstool. The
torch is the false light which guides unillumined souls to their own undoing.
In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot appears Typhon--a winged creature composed
of a hog, a man, a bat, a crocodile, and a hippopotamus--standing in the
midst of its own destructiveness and holding aloft the firebrand of the
incendiary. Typhon is created by man's own misdeeds, which, turning upon
their maker, destroy him.
The sixteenth numbered major trump is called Le Feu du Ciel, the Fire of
Heaven, and portrays a tower the battlements of which, in the form of a
crown, are being destroyed by a bolt of lightning issuing from the sun. The
crown, being considerably smaller than the tower which it surmounts,
possibly indicates that its destruction resulted from its insufficiency. The
lighting bolt sometimes takes the form of the zodiacal sign of Scorpio, and
the tower may be considered a phallic emblem. Two figures are failing from
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the tower, one in front and the other behind. This Tarot card is popularly
associated with the traditional fall of man. The divine nature of humanity is
depicted as a tower. When his crown is destroyed, man falls into the lower
world and takes upon himself the illusion of materiality. Here also is a key to
the mystery of sex. The tower is supposedly filled with gold coins which,
showering out in great numbers from the rent made by the lightning bolt,
suggesting potential powers. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the tower is a
pyramid, its apex shattered by a lightning bolt. Here is a reference to the
missing capstone of the Universal House. In support of Levi's contention
that this card is connected with the Hebrew letter Ayin, the failing figure in
the foreground is similar in general appearance to the sixteenth letter of the
Hebrew alphabet.
The seventeenth numbered major trump is called Les Etoiles, the Stars, and
portrays a young girl kneeling with one foot in water and the other on and,
her body somewhat suggesting the swastika. She has two urns, the contents
of which she pours upon the land and sea. Above the girl's head are eight
stars, one of which is exceptionally large and bright. Count de Gbelin
considers the great star to be Sothis or Sirius; the other seven are the sacred
planets of the ancients. He believes the female figure to be Isis in the act of
causing the inundations of the Nile which accompanied the rising of the Dog
Star. The unclothed figure of Isis may well signify that Nature does not
receive her garment of verdure until the rising of the Nile waters releases the
germinal life of plants and flowers. The bush and bird (or butterfly) signify
the growth and resurrection which accompany the rising of the waters. In the
pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the great star contains a diamond composed of a
black and white triangle, and the flowering bush is a tall plant with a
trifoliate head upon which a butterfly alights. Here Isis is in the form of an
upright triangle and the vases have become shallow cups. The elements of
water and earth under her feet represent the opposites of Nature sharing
impartially in the divine abundance.
The eighteenth numbered major trump is called La Lune, the Moon, and
portrays Luna rising between two towers--one light and the other dark. A
dog and a wolf are baying at the rising moon, and in the foreground is a pool
of water from which emerges a crawfish. Between the towers a path
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winds, vanishing in the extreme background. Court de Gbelin sees in this
card another reference to the rising of the Nile and states on the authority of
Pausanius that the Egyptians believed the inundations of the Nile to result
from the tears of the moon goddess which, falling into the river, swelled its
flow. These tears are seen dropping from the lunar face. Court de Gbelin
also relates the towers to the Pillars of Hercules, beyond which, according to
the Egyptians, the luminaries never passed. He notes also that the Egyptians
represented the tropics as dogs who as faithful doorkeepers prevented the
sun and moon from penetrating too near the poles. The crab or crawfish
signifies the retrograde motion of the moon.
This card also refers to the path of wisdom. Man in his quest of reality
emerges from the pool of illusion. After mastering the guardians of the gates
of wisdom he passes between the fortresses of science and theology and
follows the winding path leading to spiritual liberation. His way is faintly
lighted by human reason (the moon), which is but a reflection of divine
wisdom. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the towers are pyramids, the dogs are
black and white respectively, and the moon is partly obscured by clouds.
The entire scene suggests the dreary and desolate place in which the Mystery
dramas of the Lesser Rites were enacted.
The nineteenth numbered major trump is called Le Soleil, the Sun, and
portrays two children--probably Gemini, the Twins--standing together in a
garden surrounded by a magic ring of flowers. One of these children should
be shown as male and the other female. Behind them is a brick wall
apparently enclosing the garden. Above the wall the sun is rising, its rays
alternately straight and curved. Thirteen teardrops are falling from the solar
face Levi, seeing in the two children Faith and Reason, which must coexist
as long as the temporal universe endures, writes: "Human equilibrium
requires two feet, the worlds gravitate by means of two forces, generation
needs two sexes. Such is the meaning of the arcanum of Solomon,
represented by the two pillars of the temple, Jakin and Bohas." (See
Transcendental Magic.) The sun of Truth is shining into the garden of the
world over which these two children, as personifications of eternal powers
reside. The harmony of the world depends upon the coordination of two
qualities symbolized throughout the ages as the mind and the heart. In the
pseudo-Egyptian Tarot the children give place to a youth and a maiden.
Above them in a solar nimbus is the phallic emblem of generation--a line
piercing a circle. Gemini is ruled by Mercury and the two children personify
the serpents entwined around the caduceus.
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The twentieth numbered major trump is called Le Jugement, the judgment,
and portrays three figures rising apparently from their tombs, though but one
coffin is visible. Above them in a blaze of glory is a winged figure
(presumably the Angel Gabriel) blowing a trumpet. This Tarot represents the
liberation of man's threefold spiritual nature from the sepulcher of his
material constitution. Since but one-third of the spirit actually enters the
physical body, the other two-thirds constituting the Hermetic anthropos or
overman, only one of the three figures is actually rising from the tomb.
Court de Gbelin believes that the coffin may have been an afterthought of
the card makers and that the scene actually represents creation rather than
resurrection, In philosophy these two words are practically synonymous. The
blast of the trumpet represents the Creative Word, by the intoning of which
man is liberated from his terrestrial limitations. In the pseudo-Egyptian Tarot
it is evident that the three figures signify the parts of a single being, for three
mummies are shown emerging from one mummy case.
The twenty-first numbered major trump is called Le Monde, the World, and
portrays a female figure draped with a scarf which the wind blows into the
form of the Hebrew letter Kaph. Her extended hands--each of which holds a
wand--and her left leg, which crosses behind the right, cause the figure to
assume the form of the alchemical symbol of sulphur. The central figure is
surrounded by a wreath in the form of a vesica piscis which Levi likens to
the Qabbalistic crown Kether. The Cherubim of Ezekiel's vision occupy the
corners of the card. This Tarot is called the Microcosm and the Macrocosm
because in it are summed up every agency contributing to the structure of
creation. The figure in the form Of the emblem of sulphur represents the
divine fire and the heart of the Great Mystery. The wreath is Nature, which
surrounds the fiery center. The Cherubim represent the elements, worlds,
forces, and planes issuing out of the divine fiery center of life. The wreath
signifies the crown of the initiate which is given to those who master the
four guardians and enter into the presence of unveiled Truth. In the pseudo-
Egyptian Tarot the Cherubim surround a wreath composed of twelve
trifoliate flowers--the decanates of the zodiac. A human figure kneels below
this wreath, playing upon a harp of three strings, for the spirit must create
harmony in the triple constitution of its inferior nature before it can gain for
itself the solar crown of immortality.
The four suits of the minor trumps are considered as analogous to the four
elements, the four corners of creation, and the four worlds of Qabbalism.
The key to the lesser Tarots is presumably the Tetragrammaton, or the four-
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letter name of Jehovah, IHVH. The four suits of the minor trumps represent
also the major divisions of society: cups are the priesthood, swords the
military, coins the tradesmen, and rods the farming class. From the
standpoint of what Court de Gbelin calls "political geography," cups
represent the northern countries, swords the Orient, coins the Occident, and
rods the southern countries. The ten pip cards of each suit represent the
nations composing each of these grand divisions. The kings are their
governments, the queens their religions, the knights their histories and
national characteristics, and the pages their arts and sciences. Elaborate
treatises have been written concerning the use of the Tarot cards in
divination, but as this practice is contrary to the primary purpose of the Tarot
no profit can result from its discussion.
Many interesting examples of early playing cards are found in the museums
of Europe, and there are also noteworthy specimens in the cabinets of
various private collectors. A few hand-painted decks exist which are
extremely artistic. These depict various important personages contemporary
with the artists. In some instances, the court cards are portraitures of the
reigning monarch and his family. In England engraved cards became
popular, and in the British Museum are also to be seen some extremely
quaint stenciled cards. Heraldic devices were employed; and Chatto, in his
Origin and History of Playing Cards, reproduces four heraldic cards in
which the arms of Pope Clement IX adorn the king of clubs. There have
been philosophical decks with emblems chosen from Greek and Roman
mythology, also educational decks ornamented with maps or pictorial
representations of famous historic places and incidents. Many rare examples
of playing-cards have been found bound into the covers of early books. In
Japan there are card games the successful playing of which requires
familiarity with nearly all the literary masterpieces of that nation. In India
there are circular decks depicting episodes from Oriental myths. There are
also cards which in one sense of the word are not cards, for the designs are
on wood, ivory, and even metal. There are comic cards caricaturing disliked
persons and places, and there are cards commemorating various human
achievements. During the American Civil War a patriotic deck was
circulated in which stars, eagles, anchors, and American flags were
substituted for the suits and the court cards were famous generals.
Modern playing cards are the minor trumps of the Tarot, from each suit of
which the page, or valet, has been eliminated, leaving 13 cards. Even in its
abridged form, however, the modern deck is of profound symbolic
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importance, for its arrangement is apparently in accord with the divisions of
the year. The two colors, red and black, represent the two grand divisions of
the year--that during which the sun is north of the equator and that during
which it is south of the equator. The four suits represent the seasons, the
ages of the ancient Greeks, and the Yugas of the Hindus. The twelve court
cards are the signs of the zodiac arranged in triads of a Father, a Power, and
a Mind according to the upper section of the Bembine Table. The ten pip
cards of each suit represent the Sephirothic trees existing in each of the four
worlds (the suits). The 13 cards of each suit are the 13 lunar months in each
year, and the 52 cards of the deck are the 52 weeks in the year. Counting the
number of pips and reckoning the jacks, queens, and kings as 11, 12, and 13
respectively, the sum for the 52 cards is 364. If the joker be considered as
one point, the result is 365, or the number of days in the year. Milton
Pottenger believed that the United States of America was laid out according
to the conventional deck of playing cards, and that the government will
ultimately consist of 52 States administered by a 53rd undenominated
division, the District of Columbia.
The court cards contain a number of important Masonic symbols. Nine are
full face and three are profile. Here is the broken "Wheel of the Law,"
signifying the nine months of the prenatal epoch and the three degrees of
spiritual unfoldment necessary to produce the perfect man. The four armed
kings are the Egyptian Ammonian Architects who gouged out the universe
with knives. They are also the cardinal signs of the zodiac. The four queens,
carrying eight-petaled flowers symbolic of the Christ, are the fixed signs of
the zodiac. The four jacks, two of whom bear acacia sprigs--the jack of
hearts in his hand, the jack of clubs in his hat-are the four common signs of
the zodiac. It should be noted also that the court cards of the spade suit will
not look upon the pip in the corner of the card but face away from it as
though fearing this emblem of death. The Grand Master of the Order of the
Cards is the king of clubs, who carries the orb as emblematic of his dignity.
In its symbolism chess is the most significant of all games. It has been called
"the royal game"--the pastime of kings. Like the Tarot cards, the chessmen
represent the elements of life and philosophy. The game was played in India
and China long before its introduction into Europe. East Indian princes were
wont to sit on the balconies of their palaces and play chess with living men
standing upon a checkerboard pavement of black and white marble in the
courtyard below. It is popularly believed that the Egyptian Pharaohs played
chess, but an examination of their sculpture and illuminations has led to the
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
conclusion that the Egyptian game was a form of draughts. In China,
chessmen are often carved to represent warring dynasties, as the Manchu
and the Ming. The chessboard consists of 64 squares alternately black and
white and symbolizes the floor of the House of the Mysteries. Upon this
field of existence or thought move a number of strangely carved figures,
each according to fixed law. The white king is Ormuzd; the black king,
Ahriman; and upon the plains of Cosmos the great war between Light and
Darkness is fought through all the ages. Of the philosophical constitution of
man, the kings represent the spirit; the queens the mind; the bishops the
emotions; the knights the vitality; the castles, or rooks, the physical body.
The pieces upon the kings' side are positive; those upon the queens' side,
negative. The pawns are the sensory impulses and perceptive faculties--the
eight parts of the soul. The white king and his suite symbolize the Self and
its vehicles; the black king and his retinue, the not-self--the false Ego and its
legion. The game of chess thus sets forth the eternal struggle of each part of
man's compound nature against the shadow of itself. The nature of each of
the chessmen is revealed by the way in which it moves; geometry is the key
to their interpretation. For example: The castle (the body) moves on the
square; the bishop (the emotions) moves on the slant; the king, being the
spirit, cannot be captured, but loses the battle when so surrounded that it
cannot escape.
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While this noted scholar undoubtedly had much evidence to support his
belief, it seems that this statement is somewhat too sweeping in character. It
is apparently based upon the fact that Thomas Inman doubted the historical
existence of Moses. This doubt was based upon the etymological
resemblance of the word Moses to an ancient name for the sun. As the result
of these deductions, Inman sought to prove that the Lawgiver of Israel was
merely another form of the omnipresent solar myth. While Inman
demonstrated that by transposing two of the ancient letters the word Moses
( )became Shemmah (), an appellation of the celestial globe, he
seems to have overlooked the fact that in the ancient Mysteries the initiates
were often given names synonymous with the sun, to symbolize the fact that
the redemption and regeneration of the solar power had been achieved
within their own natures. It is far more probable that the man whom we
know as Moses was an accredited representative of the secret schools,
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
laboring--as many other emissaries have labored--to instruct primitive races
in the mysteries of their immortal souls.
The true name of the Grand Old Man of Israel who is known to history as
Moses will probably never be ascertained. The word Moses, when
understood in its esoteric Egyptian sense, means one who has been admitted
into the Mystery Schools of Wisdom and ~as gone forth to teach the
ignorant concerning the will of the gods and the mysteries of life, as these
mysteries were explained within the temples of Isis, Osiris, and Serapis.
There is much controversy concerning the nationality of Moses. Some assert
that he was a Jew, adopted and educated by the ruling house of Egypt; others
hold the opinion that he was a full-blooded Egyptian. A few even believe
him to be identical with the immortal Hermes, for both these illustrious
founders of religious systems received tablets from heaven supposedly
written by the finger of God. The stories told concerning Moses, his
discovery in the ark of bulrushes by Pharaoh's daughter, his adoption into
the royal family of Egypt, and his later revolt against Egyptian autocracy
coincide exactly with certain ceremonies through which the candidates of
the Egyptian Mysteries passed in their ritualistic wanderings in search of
truth and understanding. The analogy can also be traced in the movements of
the heavenly bodies.
It is not strange that the erudite Moses, initiated in Egypt, should teach the
Jews a philosophy containing the more important principles of Egyptian
esotericism. The religions of Egypt at the time of the Israelitic captivity were
far older than even the Egyptians themselves realized. Histories were
difficult to compile in those days, and the Egyptians were satisfied to trace
their race back to a mythological period when the gods themselves walked
the earth and with their own power established the Double Empire of the
Nile. The Egyptians did not dream that these divine progenitors were the
Atlanteans, who, forced to abandon their seven islands because of volcanic
cataclysms, had immigrated into Egypt--then an Atlantean colony--where
they established a great philosophic and literary center of civilization which
was later to influence profoundly the religions and science of unnumbered
races and peoples. Today Egypt is forgotten, but things Egyptian will always
be remembered and revered. Egypt is dead--yet it lives immortal in its
philosophy, and architectonics.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
established in the midst of them his secret and symbolic school, which has
came to be known as The Tabernacle Mysteries. The Tabernacle of: the Jews
was merely a temple patterned after the temples of Egypt, and transportable
to meet the needs of that roving disposition which the Israelites were
famous. Every part of the Tabernacle and the enclosure which surrounded it
was symbolic of some great natural or philosophic truth. To the ignorant it
was but a place to which to bring offerings and in which to make sacrifice;
to the wise it was a temple of learning, sacred to the Universal Spirit of
Wisdom.
While the greatest, minds of the Jewish and Christian worlds have realized
that the Bible is a book of allegories, few seem to have taken the trouble to
investigate its symbols and parables. When Moses instituted his Mysteries,
he is said to have given to a chosen few initiates certain oral teachings which
could never be written but were to be preserved from one generation to the
next by word-of-mouth transmission. Those instructions were in the form of
philosophical keys, by means of which the allegories were made to reveal
their hidden significance. These mystic keys to their sacred writings were
called by the Jews the Qabbalah (Cabala, Kaballah).
The modern world seems to have forgotten the existence of those unwritten
teachings which explained satisfactorily the apparent contradictions of the
written Scriptures, nor does it remember that the pagans appointed their two-
faced Janus as custodian of the key to the Temple of Wisdom. Janus has
been metamorphosed into St. Peter, so often symbolized as holding in his
hand the key to the gate of heaven. The gold and silver keys of "God's Vicar
on Earth," the Pope, symbolizes this "secret doctrine" which, when properly
understood, unlocks the treasure chest of the Christian and Jewish Qabbalah.
The temples of Egyptian mysticism (from which the Tabernacle was copied)
were--according to their own priests--miniature representations of the
universe. The solar system was always regarded as a great temple of
initiation, which candidates entered through the gates of birth; after
threading the tortuous passageways of earthly existence, they finally
approached the veil of the Great Mystery--Death--through whose gate they
vanished back into the invisible world. Socrates subtly reminded his
disciples that Death was, in reality, the great initiation, for his last words
were: "Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius; will you remember to pay the
debt?" (As the rooster was sacred to the gods and the sacrifice of this bird
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
accompanied a candidate's introduction into the Mysteries, Socrates implied
that he was about to take his great initiation.)
Life is the great mystery, and only those who pass successfully through its
tests and trials, interpreting them aright and extracting the essence of
experience therefrom, achieve true understanding. Thus, the temples were
built in the form of the world and their rituals were based upon life and its
multitudinous problems. Nor only was the Tabernacle itself patterned
according to Egyptian mysticism; its utensils were also of ancient and
accepted form. The Ark
of the Covenant itself was an adaptation of the Egyptian Ark, even to the
kneeling figures upon its lid. Bas-reliefs on the Temple of Phil show
Egyptian priests carrying their Ark--which closely resembled the Ark of the
Jews--upon their shoulders by means of staves like those described in
Exodus.
The following description of the Tabernacle and its priests is based upon the
account of its construction and ceremonies recorded by Josephus in the
Third Book of his Antiquities of the Jews. The Bible references are from a
"Breeches" Bible (famous for its rendering of the seventh verse of the third
chapter of Genesis), printed in London in 1599, and the quotations are
reproduced in their original spelling and punctuation.
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THE BUILDING OF THE TABERNACLE
Moses, speaking for Jehovah, the God of Israel, appointed two architects to
superintend the building of the Tabernacle. They were Besaleel, the son of
Uri, of the tribe of Judah, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of
Dan. Their popularity was so great that they were also the unanimous choice
of the people. When Jacob upon his deathbed blessed his sons (see Genesis
xlix), he assigned to each a symbol. The symbol of Judah was a lion; that of
Dan a serpent or a bird (possibly an eagle). The lion and the eagle are two of
the four beasts of the Cherubim (the fixed signs of the zodiac); and the
Rosicrucian alchemists maintained that the mysterious Stone of the Wise
(the Soul) was compounded with the aid of the Blood of the Red Lion and
the Gluten of the White Eagle. It seems probable that there is a hidden
mystic relationship between fire (the Red Lion), water (the White Eagle), as
they were used in occult chemistry, and the representatives of these two
tribes whose symbols were identical with these alchemical elements.
As the Tabernacle was the dwelling place of God among men, likewise the
soul body in man is the dwelling place of his divine nature, round which
gathers a twelvefold material constitution in the same manner that the tribes
of Israel camped about the enclosure sacred to Jehovah. The idea that the
Tabernacle was really symbolic of an invisible spiritual truth outside the
comprehension of the Israelites is substantiated by a statement made in the
eighth chapter of Hebrews: "Who serve unto the paterne and shadowe of
heavenly things, as Moses was warned by God, when he was about to finish
the Tabernacle." Here we find the material physical place of worship called
a "shadow" or symbol of a spiritual institution, invisible but omnipotent.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The court of the Tabernacle was an enclosed area, fifty cubits wide and one
hundred cubits long, circumscribed by a wall of linen curtains hung from
brazen pillars five cubits apart. (The cubit is an ancient standard of
measurement, its length being equal to the distance between the elbow and
the extreme end of the index finger, approximately eighteen inches.) There
were twenty of these pillars on each of the longer sides and ten on the
shorter. Each pillar had a base of brass and a capital of silver. The
Tabernacle was always laid out with the long sides facing north and south
and the short sides facing east and west, with the entrance to the east, thus
showing the influence of primitive sun worship.
The outer court served the principal purpose of isolating the tent of the
Tabernacle proper, which stood in the midst of the enclosure. At the
entrance to the courtyard, which was in the eastern face of the rectangle,
stood the Altar of Burnt Offerings, made of brass plates over wood and
ornamented with the horns of bulls and rams. Farther in, but on a line with
this altar, stood the Laver of Purification, a great vessel containing water for
priestly ablutions. The Laver was twofold in its construction, the upper part
being a large bowl, probably covered, which served as a source of supply for
a lower basin in which the priests bathed themselves before participating in
the various ceremonials. It is supposed that this Laver was encrusted with
the metal mirrors of the women of the twelve tribes of Israel.
The dimensions of the Tabernacle proper were as follows: "Its length, when
it was set up, was thirty cubits, and its breadth was ten cubits. The one of its
walls was on the south, and the other was exposed to the north, and on the
back part of it remained the west. It was necessary that its height should be
equal to its breadth (ten cubits)." (Josephus.)
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Josephus hints that there was a third compartment which was formed by
subdividing the Holy Place, at least hypothetically, into two chambers. The
Jewish historian is not very explicit in his description of this third room, and
the majority of writers seem to have entirely overlooked and neglected this
point, although Josephus emphatically states that Moses himself divided the
inner tent into three sections. The veil separating the Holy Place from the
Holy of Holies was hung across four pillars, which probably indicated in a
subtle way the four elements, while at the entrance to the tent proper the
Jews placed seven pillars, referring to the seven senses and the seven vowels
of the Sacred Name. That later only five pillars are mentioned may be
accounted for by the fact that at the present time man has only five
developed senses and five active vowels. The early Jewish writer of The
Baraitha treats of the curtains as follows:
"There were provided ten curtains of blue, of purple, and scarlet, and fine-
twined linen. As is said, 'Moreover thou shall make the tabernacle with ten
curtains of fine-twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet.' * * * There
were provided eleven curtains of goats' hair, and the length of every one of
them was thirty cubits, * * *. Rabbi Judah said, 'There were two covers-the
lower one of rams' skins dyed red, and the upper one of badgers' skins. '"
Calmet is of the opinion that the Hebrew word translated "badger" really
means "dark purple" and therefore did not refer to any particular animal, but
probably to a heavily woven waterproof fabric of dark and inconspicuous
color. During the time of Israel's wanderings through the wilderness, it is
supposed that a pillar of fire hovered over the Tabernacle at night, while a
column of smoke traveled with it by day. This cloud was called by the Jews
the Shechinah and was symbolic of the presence of the Lord. In one of the
early Jewish books rejected at the time of the compiling of the Talmud the
following description of the Shechinah appears:
"Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord
filled the Tabernacle. And that was one of the clouds of glory, which served
the Israelites in the wilderness forty years. One on the right hand, and one on
the left, and one before them, and one behind them. And one over them, and
a cloud dwelling in their midst (and the cloud, the Shechinah which was in
the tent), and the pillar of cloud which moved before them, making low
before them the high places, and making high before them the low places,
and killing serpents and scorpions, and burning thorns and briars, and
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guiding them in the straight way." (From The Baraitha, the Book of the
Tabernacle.)
There is no doubt that the Tabernacle, its furnishings and ceremonials, when
considered esoterically, are analogous to the structure, organs, and functions
of the human body. At the entrance to the outer court of the Tabernacle
stood the Altar of Burnt Offerings, five cubits long and five cubits wide but
only three cubits high. Its upper surface was a brazen grill upon which the
sacrifice was placed, while beneath was a space for the fire. This altar
signified
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that a candidate, when first entering the precincts of sanctuary, must offer
upon the brazen altar not a poor unoffending bull or ram but its
correspondence within his own nature. The bull, being symbolic of
earthiness, represented his own gross constitution which must be burned up
by the fire of his Divinity. (The sacrificing of beasts, and in some cases
human beings, upon the altars of the pagans was the result of their ignorance
concerning the fundamental principle underlying sacrifice. They did not
realize that their offerings must come from within their own natures in order
to be acceptable.)
Farther westward, in line with the Brazen Altar, was the Laver of
Purification already described. It signified to the priest that he should
cleanse not only his body but also his soul from all stains of impurity, for
none who is not clean in both body and mind can enter into the presence of
Divinity and live. Beyond the Laver of Purification was the entrance to the
Tabernacle proper, facing the east, so that the first rays of the rising sun
might enter and light the chamber. Between the encrusted pillars could be
seen the Holy Place, a mysterious chamber, its walls hung with magnificent
drapes embroidered with the faces of Cherubs.
Against the wall on the southern side of the Holy Place stood the great
Candlestick, or lampstand, of cast gold, which was believed to weigh about a
hundred pounds. From its central shaft branched out six arms, each ending in
a cup-shaped depression in which stood an oil lamp. There were seven
lamps, three on the arms at each side and one on the central stem. The
Candlestick was ornamented with seventy-two almonds, knops, and flowers.
Josephus says seventy, but wherever this round number is used by the
Hebrews it really means seventy-two. Opposite the Candlestick, against the
northern wall, was a table bearing twelve loaves of Shewbread in two stacks
of six loaves each. (Calmet is of the opinion that the bread was not stacked
up but spread out on the table in two rows, each containing six loaves.) On
this table also stood two lighted incensories, which were placed upon the
tops of the stacks of Shewbread so that the smoke of the incense might be an
acceptable aroma to the Lord, bearing with it in its ascent the soul of the
Shewbread.
In the center of the room, almost against the partition leading into the Holy
of Holies, stood the Altar of Burnt Incense, made of wood overlaid with
golden plates. Its width and length were each a cubit and its height was two
cubits. This altar was symbolic of the human larynx, from which the words
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of man's mouth ascend as an acceptable offering unto the Lord, for the
larynx occupies the position in the constitution of man between the Holy
Place, which is the trunk of his body, and the Holy of Holies, which is the
head with its contents.
Into the Holy of Holies none might pass save the High Priest, and he only at
certain prescribed times, The room contained no furnishings save the Ark of
the Covenant, which stood against the western wall, opposite the entrance.
In Exodus the dimensions of the Ark are given as two and a half cubits for
its length, one cubit and a half its breadth and one cubit and a half its height.
It was made of shittim-wood, gold plated within and without, and contained
the sacred tablets of the Law delivered to Moses upon Sinai. The lid of the
Ark was in the form of a golden plate upon which knelt two mysterious
creatures called Cherubim, facing each other, with wings arched overhead. It
was upon this mercy seat between the wings of the celestials that the Lord of
Israel descended when He desired to communicate with His High Priest.
There is no doubt that the Jews in early times realized, at least in part, that
their Tabernacle was a symbolic edifice. Josephus realized this and while he
has been severely criticized because he interpreted the Tabernacle
symbolism according to Egyptian and Grecian paganism, his description of
the secret meanings of its drapes and furnishings is well worthy of
consideration. He says:
"When Moses distinguished the tabernacle into three parts, and allowed two
of them to the priests, as a place accessible and common, he denoted the
land and the sea, these being of general access to all; but he set apart the
third division for God, because heaven is inaccessible to men. And when he
ordered twelve loaves to be set on a table, he denoted the year, as
distinguished into so many months. By branching out the candlestick into
seventy parts, he secretly intimated the Decani, or seventy divisions of the
planets; and as to the seven lamps upon the candlesticks, they referred to the
course of the planets, of which that is the number. The veils too, which were
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composed of four things, they declared the four elements; for the plain linen
was proper to signify the earth, because the flax grows out of the earth; the
purple signified the sea, because that color is dyed by the blood of a sea
shell-fish; the blue is fit to signify the air; and the scarlet will naturally be an
indication of fire.
"Now the vestment of the high-priest being made of linen, signified the
earth; the blue denoted the sky, being like lightning in its pomegranates, and
in the noise of the bells resembling thunder. And for the Ephod, it showed
that God had made the universe of four (elements); and as for the gold
interwoven, * * * it related to the splendor by which all things are
enlightened. He also appointed the breastplate to be placed in the middle of
the Ephod, to resemble the earth, for that has the very middle place of the
world. And the girdle which encompassed the high-priest round signified the
ocean, for that goes round about and includes the universe. Each of the
sardonyxes declares to us the sun and the moon, those, I mean, that were in
the nature of buttons on the high-priest's shoulders. And for the twelve
stones, whether we understand by them the months, or whether we
understand the like number of the signs of that circle which the Greeks call
the Zodiac, we shall not be mistaken in their meaning. And for the mitre,
which was of a blue colour, it seems to me to mean heaven; for how
otherwise could the name of God be inscribed upon it? That it was also
illustrated with a crown, and that of gold also, is because of that splendour
with which God is pleased." It is also symbolically significant that the
Tabernacle was built in seven months and dedicated to God at the time of
the new moon.
The metals used in the building of the Tabernacle were all emblematic. Gold
represents spirituality, and the golden plates laid over the shittim-wood were
emblems of the spiritual nature which glorifies the human nature symbolized
by the wood. Mystics have taught that man's physical body is surrounded by
a series of invisible bodies of diverse colors and great splendor. In the
majority of people the spiritual nature is concealed and imprisoned in the
material nature, but in a few this internal constitution has been objectified
and the spiritual nature is outside, so that it surrounds man's personality with
a great radiance.
Silver, used as the capitals for the pillars, has its reference to the moon,
which was sacred to the Jews and the Egyptians alike. The priests held secret
ritualistic ceremonies at the time of the new and the full moon, both of
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which periods were sacred to Jehovah. Silver, so the ancients taught, was
gold with its sun-ray turned inward instead of objectified. While gold
symbolized the spiritual soul, silver represented the purified and regenerated
human nature of man.
The brass used in the outer altars was a composite substance consisting of an
alloy of precious and base metals. Thus, it represented the constitution of the
average individual, who is a combination of both the higher and the lower
elements.
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The vestments of the High Priest were the same as those of the lesser
degrees, except that certain garments and adornments were added. Over the
specially woven white linen robe the High Priest wore a seamless and
sleeveless habit, sky-blue in color and reaching nearly to his feet. This was
called the Meeir and was ornamented with a fringe of alternated golden bells
and pomegranates. In Ecclesiasticus (one of the books rejected from the
modern Bible), these bells and their purpose are described in the following
words: "And he compassed him with pomegranates, and with many golden
bells round about, that as he went, there might be a sound and a noise that
might be heard in the temple, for a memorial to the children of his people."
The Meeir was also bound in with a variegated girdle finely embroidered
and with gold wire inserted through the embroidery.
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with a large onyx in the form of a button, and the names of the twelve sons
of Jacob were engraven upon these two stones, six on each. These onyx
buttons were supposed to have oracular powers, and when the High Priest
asked certain questions, they emitted a celestial radiance. When the onyx on
the right shoulder was illuminated, it signified that Jehovah answered the
question of the High Priest: in the affirmative, and when the one on the left
gleamed, it indicated a negative answer to the query.
In the middle of the front surface of the Ephod was a space to accommodate
the Essen, or Breastplate of Righteousness and Prophecy, which, as its name
signifies, was also an oracle of great power. This pectoral was roughly
square in shape and consisted of a frame of embroidery into which were set
twelve stones, each held in a socket of gold. Because of the great weight of
its stones, each of which was of considerable size and immense value, the
breastplate was held in position by special golden chains and ribbons. The
twelve stones of the breastplate, like the onyx stones at the shoulders of the
Ephod, had the mysterious power of lighting up with Divine glory and so
serving as oracles. Concerning the strange power of these flashing symbols
of Israel's twelve tribes, Josephus writes:
"Yet will I mention what is still more wonderful than this: For God declared
beforehand, by those twelve stones which the High Priest bare upon his
breast and which were inserted into his breastplate, when they should be
victorious in battle; for so great a splendor shone forth from them before the
army began to march, that all the people were sensible of God's being
present for their assistance. Whence it came to pass that those Greeks, who
had a veneration for our laws, because they could not possibly contradict
this, called the breastplate, 'the Oracle'." The writer then adds that the stones
ceased to light up and gleam some two hundred years before he wrote his
history, because the Jews had broken the laws of Jehovah and the God of
Israel was no longer pleased with His chosen people.
The Jews learned astronomy from the Egyptians, and it is not unlikely that
the twelve jewels of the breastplate were symbolic of the twelve
constellations of the zodiac. These twelve celestial hierarchies were looked
upon as jewels adorning the breastplate of the Universal Man, the
Macroprosophus, who is referred to in the Zohar as The Ancient of Days.
The number twelve frequently occurs among ancient peoples, who in nearly
every case had a pantheon consisting of twelve demigods and goddesses
presided over by The Invincible One, who was Himself subject to the
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Incomprehensible All-Father. This use of the number twelve is especially
noted in the Jewish and Christian writings. The twelve prophets, the twelve
patriarchs, the twelve tribes, and the twelve Apostles--each group has a
certain occult significance, for each refers to the Divine Duodecimo, or
Twelvefold Deity, whose emanations are manifested in the tangible created
Universe through twelve individualized channels. The secret doctrine also
caught the priests that the jewels represented centers of life within their own
constitutions, which when unfolded according to the esoteric instructions of
the Temple, were capable of absorbing into themselves and radiating forth
again the Divine light of the Deity. (The East Indian lotus blossoms have a
similar meaning.) The Rabbis have taught that each twisted linen thread used
in weaving the Tabernacle curtains and ornamentations consisted of twenty-
four separate strands, reminding the discerning that the experience, gained
during the twenty-four hours of the day (symbolized in Masonry by the
twenty-four-inch rule) becomes the threads from which are woven the
Garments of Glory.
Not the least remarkable of the vestments of the High Priest was his bonnet,
or headdress. Over the plain white cap of the ordinary priest this dignitary
wore an outer cloth of blue and a crown of gold, the crown consisting of
three bands, one above the other like the triple miter of the Persian Magi.
This crown symbolized that the High Priest was ruler not only over the three
worlds which the ancients had differentiated (heaven, earth, and hell), but
also over the threefold divisions of man and the universe--the spiritual,
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intellectual, and material worlds. These divisions were also symbolized by
the three apartments of the Tabernacle itself.
At the peak of the headdress was a tiny cup of gold, made in the form of a
flower. This signified that the nature of the priest was receptive and that he
had a vessel in his own soul which, cuplike, was capable of catching the
eternal waters of life pouring upon him from the heavens above. This flower
over the crown of his head is similar in its esoteric meaning to the rose
growing out of a skull, so famous in Templar symbology. The ancients
believed that the spiritual nature escaping from the body passed upward
through the crown of the head; therefore, the flowerlike calyx, or cup,
symbolized also the spiritual consciousness. On the front of the golden
crown were inscribed in Hebrew, Holiness unto the Lord.
Though robes and ornaments augmented the respect and veneration of the
Israelites for their High Priest, such trappings meant nothing to Jehovah.
Therefore, before entering the Holy of Holies, the High Priest removed his
earthly finery and entered into the presence of the Lord God of Israel
unclothed. There he could be robed only in his own virtues, and his
spirituality must adorn him as a garment.
There is a legend to the effect that any who chanced to enter the Holy of
Holies unclean were destroyed by a bolt of Divine fire from the Mercy Seat.
If the High Priest had but one selfish thought, he would be struck dead. As
no man knows when an unworthy thought may flash through his mind,
precautions had to be taken in case the High Priest should be struck dead
while in the presence of Jehovah. The other priests could not enter the
sanctuary therefore, when their leader was about to go in and receive the
commands of the Lord, they tied a chain around one of his feet so that if he
were struck down while behind the veil they could drag the body out.
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Josephus tells its that the Cherubim were flying creatures but different in appearance, from anything to be
seen on earth; therefore impossible to describe. Moses is supposed to have seen these beings kneeling at
the footstool of God when he was picked up and brought into the Presence of Jehovah. It is probable that
they resembled, at least in general appearance, the famous Cherubim of Ezekiel.
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There are four distinct theories regarding the Rosicrucian enigma. Each is
the result of a careful consideration of the evidence by scholars who have
spent their lives ransacking the archives of Hermetic lore. The conclusions
reached demonstrate clearly the inadequacy of the records available
concerning the genesis and early activities of the "Brethren of the Rose
Cross."
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
in the year 1610, but apparently did not appear in print until 1614, although
an earlier edition is suspected by some authorities. Intelligent consideration
of the origin of Rosicrucianism requires a familiarity with the contents of the
first and most important of its documents. The Fama Fraternitatis begins
with a reminder to all the world of God's goodness and mercy, and it warns
the intelligentsia that their egotism and covetousness cause them to follow
after false prophets and to ignore the true knowledge which God in His
goodness has revealed to them. Hence, a reformation is necessary, and God
has raised up philosophers and sages for this purpose.
After studying three years in Damcar, C.R.C. departed for the city of Fez,
where the Arabian magicians declared further information would be given
him. At Fez he was instructed how to communicate with the Elementary
inhabitants [probably the Nature spirits], and these disclosed to him many
other great secrets of Nature. While the philosophers in Fez were not so
great as those in Damcar, the previous experiences of C.R.C. enabled him to
distinguish the true from the false and thus add greatly to his store of
knowledge.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
After two years in Fez, C.R.C. sailed for Spain, carrying with him many
treasures, among them rare plants and animals accumulated during his
wanderings. He fondly hoped that the learned men of Europe would receive
with gratitude the rare intellectual and material treasures which he had
brought for their consideration. Instead he encountered only ridicule, for the
so-called wise were afraid to admit their previous ignorance lest their
prestige be impaired. At this point in the narrative is an interpolation stating
that Paracelsus, while not a member of the "Fraternity of the Rose Cross,"
had read the book M and from a consideration of its contents had secured
information which made him the foremost physician of medival Europe.
Tired, but not discouraged, as the result of the fruitlessness of his efforts,
C.R.C. returned to Germany, where he built a house in which he could
quietly carry on his study and research. He also manufactured a number of
rare scientific instruments for research purposes. While he could have made
himself famous had he cared to commercialize his knowledge, he preferred
the companionship of God to the esteem of men.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
he should dictate. These four founded the "Fraternity of the Rose Cross."
They prepared its secret cipher language and, according to the Fama, a great
dictionary in which all forms of wisdom were classified to the glorification
of God. They also began the work of transcribing the book M, but found the
task too difficult because of the demands of the great numbers of sick who
came to them for healing.
Having completed a newer and larger building, which they called the "House
of the Holy Spirit," they decided to include four new members in the
Fraternity, thus increasing the number to eight, seven of whom were
German. All were unmarried. Working industriously together, they speedily
completed the arduous labor of preparing the documents, instructions, and
arcana of the Order. They also put the house called "Sancti Spiritus" in
order.
They then decided to separate and visit the other countries of the earth, not
only that their wisdom might be given to others who deserved it but also that
they might check and correct any mistakes existing in their own system.
Before separating, the Brethren prepared six rules, or by-laws, and each
bound himself to obey them. The first rule was that they should take to
themselves no other dignity or credit than that they were willing to heal the
sick without charge. The second was that from that time on forever they
should wear no special robe or garment, but should dress according to the
custom of the country wherein they dwelt. The third stated that every year
upon a certain day they should meet in the "House of the Holy Spirit," or, if
unable to do so, should be represented by an epistle. The fourth decreed that
each member should search for a worthy person to succeed him at his own
demise. The fifth stated that the letters "R.C." should be their seal, mark, and
character from that time onward. The sixth specified that the Fraternity
should remain unknown to the world for a period of one hundred years.
After they had sworn to this code five of the Brothers departed to distant
lands, and a year later two of the others also went their way, leaving Father
C.R. C. alone in the "House of the Holy Spirit." Year after year they met
with great joy, for they had quietly and sincerely promulgated their doctrines
among the wise of the earth.
When the first of the Order died in England, it was decided that the burial
places of the members should be secret. Soon afterward Father C.R.C. called
the remaining six together, and it is supposed that then he prepared his own
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
symbolic tomb. The Fama records that none of the Brothers alive at the time
of its writing knew when Father C.R.C. died or where he was buried. His
body was accidentally discovered 120 years after his death when one of the
Brothers, who possessed considerable architectural skill, decided to make
some alterations in the "House of the Holy Spirit." [It is only suspected that
the tomb was in this building.]
While making his alterations, the Brother discovered a memorial tablet upon
which were inscribed the names of the early members of the Order. This he
decided to transfer to a more imposing chapel, for at that time no one knew
in what country Father C.R.C. had died, this information having been
concealed by the original members. In attempting to remove the memorial
tablet, which was held in place by a large nail, some stones and plastering
were broken from the wall, disclosing a door concealed in the masonry. The
members of the Order immediately cleared away the rest of the dbris and
uncovered the entrance to a vault. Upon the door in large letters were the
words: POST CXX ANNOS PATEBO. This, according to the mystic
interpretation of the Brethren, meant, "In 120 years I shall come forth."
The following morning the door was opened and the members entered a
vault with seven sides and seven corners, each side five feet broad and eight
feet high. Although the sun never penetrated this tomb, it was brilliantly
illuminated by a mysterious light in the ceiling. In the center was a circular
altar, upon which were brass plates engraved with strange characters. In each
of the seven sides was a small door which, upon being opened, revealed a
number of boxes filled with books, secret instructions, and the supposedly
lost arcanum of the Fraternity.
Upon moving the altar to one side a brass cover was disclosed. Lifting this
revealed a body, presumedly that of C.R.C., which, although it had lain there
120 years, was as well preserved as though it had just been interred. It was
ornamented and attired in the robes of the Order, and in one hand was
clasped a mysterious parchment which, next to the Bible, was the most
valued possession of the Society. After thoroughly investigating the contents
of the secret chamber, the brass plate and altar were put back in place, the
door of the vault was again sealed, and the Brothers went their respective
ways, their spirits raised and their faith increased by the miraculous
spectacle which they had beheld.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The document ends by saying in effect, "In accordance with the will of
Father C.R.C., the Fama has been prepared and sent forth to the wise and
learned of all Europe in five languages, that all may know and understand
the secrets of the august Fraternity. All of sincere soul who labor for the
glory of God are invited to communicate with the Brethren and are promised
that their appeal shall be heard, regardless of where they are or how the
messages are sent. At the same time, those of selfish and ulterior motives are
warned that only sorrow and misery will attend any who attempt to discover
the Fraternity without a clean heart and a pure mind."
Such, in brief, is the story of the Fama Fraternitatis. Those who accept it
literally regard Father C.R.C. as the actual founder of the Brotherhood,
which he is believed to have organized about 1400. The fact that historical
corroboration of the important points of the Fama has never been discovered
is held against this theory. There is no proof that Father C.R.C. ever
approached the learned men of Spain. The mysterious city of Damcar cannot
be found, and there is no record that anywhere in Germany there existed a
place where great numbers of the halt and sick came and were mysteriously
healed. A. E. Waite's The Secret Tradition in Freemasonry contains a picture
of Father C.R.C. showing him with a long beard upon his breast, sitting
before a table upon which burns a candle. One hand is supporting his head
and the other is resting the tip of its index finger on the temple of a human
skull. The picture, however (see plate at head of chapter), proves nothing.
Father C.R.C. was never seen by other than members of his own Order, and
they did not preserve a description of him. That his name was Christian
Rosencreutz is most improbable, as the two were not even associated until
the writing of the Chymical Nuptials.
Those Masonic brethren who have investigated the subject accept the
historical existence of the "Brotherhood of the Rose Cross" but are divided
concerning the origin of the Order. One group holds the society originated in
medival Europe as an outgrowth of alchemical speculation. Robert Macoy,
33, believes that Johann Valentin Andre, a German theologian, was the
true founder, and he also believes it possible that this divine merely
reformed and amplified an existing society which had been founded by Sir
Henry Cornelius Agrippa. Some believe that Rosicrucianism represented the
first European invasion of Buddhist and Brahmin culture. Still others hold
the opinion that the "Society of the Rose Cross" was founded in Egypt
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
during n the philosophic supremacy of that empire, and that it also
perpetuated the Mysteries of ancient Persia and Chaldea.
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In his Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians, Dr. Franz Hartmann describes the
Fraternity as "A secret society of men possessing superhuman--if not
supernatural--powers; they were said to be able to prophesy future events, to
penetrate into the deepest mysteries of Nature, to transform Iron, Copper,
Lead, or Mercury into Gold, to prepare an Elixir of Life, or Universal
Panacea, by the use of which they could preserve their youth and manhood;
and moreover it was believed that they could command the Elemental Spirits
of Nature, and knew the secret of the Philosopher's Stone, a substance which
rendered him who possessed it all-powerful, immortal, and supremely wise."
The same author further defines a Rosicrucian as "A person who by the
process of spiritual awakening has attained a practical knowledge of the
secret significance of the Rose and the Cross. * * * To call a person a
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Rosicrucian does not make him one, nor does the act of calling a person a
Christian make him a Christ. The real Rosicrucian or Mason cannot be
made; he must grow to be one by the expansion and unfoldment of the
divine power within his own heart. The inattention to this truth is the cause
that many churches and secret societies are far from being that which their
names express."
Efforts to join the Order were apparently futile, for the Rosicrucians always
chose their disciples. Having agreed on one who they believed would do
honor to their illustrious fraternity, they communicated with him in one of
many mysterious ways. He might receive a letter, either anonymous or with
a peculiar seal, usually bearing the letters "C.R.C. "or "R.C. "upon it. He
would be instructed to go to a certain place at an appointed time. What was
disclosed to him he never revealed, although in many cases his later writings
showed that a new influence had come into his life, deepening his
understanding and broadening his intellect. A few have written allegorically
concerning what they beheld when in the august presence of the "Brethren of
the Rose Cross."
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
chemical formul which had been disclosed to him but also concerning the
method by which he had secured them. While these nameless adepts were
suspected of being ''Brothers of the Rose Cross," it could never be proved
who they were, and those visited could only conjecture.
Doubt has always existed as to whether the name Rosicrucian came from the
symbol of the rose and cross, or whether this was merely a blind to deceive
the uninformed and further conceal the true meaning of the Order. Godfrey
Higgins believes that the word Rosicrucian is not derived from the flower
but from the word Ros, which means dew. It is also interesting to note that
the word Ras means wisdom, while Rus is translated concealment. Doubtless
all of these meanings have contributed to Rosicrucian symbolism.
A. E. Waite holds with Godfrey Higgins that the process of forming the
Philosopher's Stone with the aid of dew is the secret concealed within the
name Rosicrucian. It is possible that the dew referred to is a mysterious
substance within the human brain, closely resembling the description given
by alchemists of the dew which, falling from heaven, redeemed the earth.
The cross is symbolic of the human body, and the two symbols together--the
rose on the cross--signify that the soul of man is crucified upon the body,
where it is held by three nails.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
evidence is, however, inconclusive, or at least unextricated. Freemasonry per
se, in spite of the affinity with mysticism which I have just mentioned, has
never exhibited any mystic character, nor has it a clear notion how it came
by its symbols."
On this same subject, Papus, in his Tarot of the Bohemians, has written: "We
must not forger that the Rosicrucians were the Initiators of Leibnitz, and the
founders of actual Freemasonry through Ashmole." If the founders of
Freemasonry were initiated into the Great Arcanum of Egypt--and the
symbolism of modern Masonry would indicate that such was the case--then
it is reasonable to suppose that they secured their information from a society
whose existence they admitted and which was duly qualified to teach them
these symbols and allegories.
One theory concerning the two Orders is to the effect that Freemasonry was
an outgrowth of Rosicrucianism; in other words, that the "Unknown
Philosophers" became known through an organization which they created to
serve them in the material world. The story goes on to relate that the
Rosicrucian adepts became dissatisfied with their progeny and silently
withdrew from the Masonic hierarchy, leaving behind their symbolism and
allegories, but carrying away the keys by which the locked symbols could be
made to give tip their secret meanings. Speculators have gone so far as to
state that, in their opinion, modern Freemasonry has completely absorbed
Rosicrucianism and succeeded it as the world's greatest secret society. Other
minds of equal learning declare that the Rosicrucian Brotherhood still exists,
preserving its individuality as the result of having withdrawn from the
Masonic Order.
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According to a widely accepted tradition, the headquarters of the
Rosicrucian Order is near Carlsbad, in Austria (see Doctor Franz Hartmann).
Another version has it that a mysterious school, resembling in general
principles the Rosicrucian Fraternity, which calls itself "The Bohemian
Brothers," still maintains its individuality in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest)
of Germany. One thing is certain: with the rise of Freemasonry, the
Rosicrucian Order in Europe practically disappeared, and notwithstanding
existing statements to the contrary, it is certain that the 18th degree
(commonly known as the Rose-Croix) perpetuates many of the symbols of
the Rosicrucian Fire Alchemists.
The presence of a hieroglyphic rose upon the escutcheon of Martin Luther has been the basis of much
speculation as to whether any connection existed between his Reformation and the secret activities of the
Rose Cross.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
statement: "Yet will I now give the over-wise world a paradox to be solved,
namely, that some illuminated men have undertaken to found Schools of
Wisdom in Europe and these for some peculiar reason have called
themselves Fratres Rosa: Crucis. But soon afterwards came false schools
into existence and corrupted the good intentions of these wise men.
Therefore, the Order no longer exists as most people would understand
existence, and as this Fraternity of the Seculo Fili call themselves Brothers
of the Rosie Cross, so also will they in the Seculo Spiritus Sancti call
themselves Brothers of the Lily Cross and the Knights of the White Lion.
Then will the Schools of Wisdom begin again to blossom, but why the first
one chose their name and why the others shall also choose theirs, only those
can solve who have understanding grounded in Nature."
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unknown person, or persons, instructions to be carried out? If he wrote the
Chymical Nuptials of Christian Rosencreutz when only fifteen years old,
was he overshadowed in the preparation of that book?
Some are of the opinion that Sir Francis Bacon had a hand in the writing of
the Fama and Confessio Fraternitatis, on the basis that the rhetorical style of
these works is similar to that of Bacon's New Atlantis. They also contend
that certain statements in the latter work point to an acquaintance with
Rosicrucian symbology. The elusiveness of the Rosicrucians has caused
them to be favorite subject's for literary works. Outstanding among the
romances which have been woven around them is Zanoni. The author, Lord
Bulwer-Lytton, is regarded by some as a member of the Order, while others
assert that he applied for membership but was rejected. Pope's Rape of the
Lock, &c. Comte de Gabalis by Abb de Villars, and essays by De Quincy,
Hartmann, Jennings, Mackenzie, and others, are examples of Rosicrucian
literature. Although the existence of these medival Rosicrucians is difficult
to prove, sufficient evidence is at hand to make it extremely probable that
there existed in Germany, and afterwards in France, Italy, England, and
other European countries, a secret society of illuminated savants who made
contributions of great import to the sum of human knowledge, while
maintaining absolute secrecy concerning their personalities and their
organization.
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THE FOURTH POSTULATE
These adepts were believed to have been able to teach man how to function
away from his physical body at will by assisting him to remove the "rose
from the cross." They taught that the spiritual nature was attached to the
material form at certain points, symbolized by the "nails" of the crucifixion;
but by three alchemical initiations which took place in the spiritual world, in
the true Temple of the Rose Cross, they were able to "draw" these nails and
permit the divine nature of man to come down from its cross. They
concealed the processes by which this was accomplished under three
alchemical metaphoric expressions: "The Casting of the Molten Sea," "The
Making of the Rose Diamond," and "The Achieving of the Philosopher's
Stone."
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While the intellectualist flounders among contradictory theories, the mystic
treats the problem in an entirely different manner. He believes that the true
Rosicrucian Fraternity, consisting of a school of supermen (not unlike the
fabled Mahatmas of India), is an institution existing not in the visible world
bur in its spiritual counterpart, which he sees fit to call the "inner planes of
Nature"; that the Brothers can be reached only by those who are capable of
transcending the limitations of the material world. To substantiate their
viewpoint, these mystics cite the following significant statement from the
Confessio Fraternitatis: "A thousand times the unworthy may clamour, a
thousand times may present themselves, yet God hath commanded our ears
that they should hear none of them, and hath so compassed us about with His
clouds that unto us, His servants, no violence can be done; wherefore now
no longer are we beheld by human eyes, unless they have received strength
borrowed from the eagle." In mysticism the eagle is a symbol of initiation
(the spinal Spirit Fire), and by this is explained the inability of the
unregenerated world to understand the Secret Order of the Rose Cross.
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CONFESSIO FRATERNITATIS R. C. AD ERUDITOS EUROP
Chapter II. While it is alleged by many that the philosophic cide (sic. JBH)
of our day is sound, we declare it to be false and soon to die of its own
inherent weakness. just as Nature, however, provides a remedy for each new
disease that manifests itself, so our Fraternity has provided a remedy for the
infirmities of the world's philosophic system. The secret philosophy of the
R.C. is founded upon that knowledge which is the sum and head of all
faculties, sciences, and arts. By our divinely revealed system--which
partakes much of theology and medicine but little of jurisprudence--we
analyze the heavens and the earth; but mostly we study man himself, within
whose nature is concealed the supreme secret. If the learned of out day will
accept our invitation and join themselves to our Fraternity, we will reveal to
them undreamed-of secrets and wonders concerning the hidden workings of
Nature.
Chapter III. Do not believe that the secrets discussed in this brief document
are lightly esteemed by us. We cannot describe fully the marvels of our
Fraternity lest the uninformed be overwhelmed by our astonishing
declarations and the vulgar ridicule the mysteries which they do not
comprehend. We also fear that many will be confused by the unexpected
generosity of our proclamation, for not understanding the wonders of this
sixth age they do nor realize the great changes which are to come. Like blind
men living in a world full of light, they discern only through the sense of
feeling. [By sight is implied spiritual cognition: by feeling, the material
senses.]
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Chapter IV. We firmly believe that through deep meditation on the
inventions of the human mind and the mysteries of life, through the
cooperation of the angels and spirits, and through experience and long
observation, our loving Christian Father C.R.C. was so fully illumined with
God's wisdom that were all the books and writings of the world lost and the
foundations of science overturned, the Fraternity of R.C. could reestablish
the structure of world thought upon the foundation of divine truth and
integrity. Because of the great depth and perfection of our knowledge, those
desiring to understand the mysteries of the Fraternity of R. C. cannot attain
to that wisdom immediately, but must grow in understanding and
knowledge. Therefore, our Fraternity is divided into grades through which
each must ascend step by step to the Great Arcanum. Now that it has pleased
God to lighten unto us His sixth candelabrum, is it not better to seek truth in
this way than to wander through the labyrinths of worldly ignorance?
Furthermore, those who receive this knowledge shall become masters of all
arts and crafts; no secret shall be hidden from them; and all good works of
the past, present, and future shall be accessible to them. The whole world
shall become as one book and the contradictions of science and theology
shall be reconciled. Rejoice, O humanity! for the time has come when God
has decreed that the number of our Fraternity shall be increased, a labor that
we have joyously undertaken. The doors of wisdom are now open to the
world, but only to those who have earned the privilege may the Brothers
present themselves, for it is forbidden to reveal our knowledge even to our
own children. The right to receive spiritual truth cannot be inherited: it must
be evolved within the soul of man himself.
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can no longer be seen by mortal eyes unless they have received strength
borrowed from the eagle. We further affirm that we shall reform the
governments of Europe and pattern them according to the system applied by
the philosophers of Damcar. All men desirous of securing knowledge shall
receive as much as they are capable of understanding. The rule of false
theology shall be overthrown and God shall make His will known through
His chosen philosophers.
Chapter VII. Because of the need of brevity, it is enough to say that our
Father C.R.C. was born in the year 1378 and departed at the age of 106,
leaving to us the labor of spreading die doctrine of philosophic religion to
the entire world. Our Fraternity is open to all who sincerely seek for truth;
but we publicly warn the false and impious that they cannot betray or injure
us, for God has protected our Fraternity, and all who seek to do it harm shall
have their evil designs return and destroy them, while the treasures of our
Fraternity shall remain untouched, to be used by the Lion in the
establishment of his kingdom.
Chapter VII. We declare that God, before the end of the world, shall create a
great flood of spiritual light to alleviate the sufferings of humankind.
Falsehood and darkness which have crept into the arts, sciences, religions,
and governments of humanity--making it difficult for even the wise to
discover the path of reality--shall be forever removed and a single standard
established, so that all may enjoy the fruitage of truth. We shall not be
recognized as those responsible for this change, for people shall say that it is
the result of the progressiveness of the age. Great are the reforms about to
take place; but we of the Fraternity of R.C. do not arrogate to ourselves the
glory for this divine reformation, since many there are, not members of our
Fraternity but honest, true and wise men, who by their intelligence and their
writings shall hasten its coming. We testify that sooner the stones shall rise
up and offer their services than that there shall be any lack of righteous
persons to execute the will of God upon earth.
Chapter VIII. That no one may doubt, we declare that God has sent
messengers and signs in the heavens, namely, the i new stars in Serpentarius
and Cygnus, to show that a great Council of the Elect is to take place. This
proves that God reveals in visible nature--for the discerning few--signs and
symbols of all things that are coming to pass. God has given man two eyes,
two nostrils, and two ears, but only one tongue. Whereas the eyes, the
nostrils, and the ears admit the wisdom of Nature into the mind, the tongue
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alone may give it forth. In various ages there have been illumined ones who
have seen, smelt, tasted, or heard the will of God, but it will shortly come to
pass that those who have seen, smelt, tasted, or heard shall speak, and truth
shall be revealed. Before this revelation of righteousness is possible,
however, the world must sleep away the intoxication of her poisoned chalice
(filled with the false life of the theological vine) and, opening her heart to
virtue and understanding, welcome the rising sun of Truth.
Chapter IX. We have a magic writing, copied from that divine alphabet with
which God writes His will upon the face of celestial and terrestrial Nature.
With this new language we read God's will for all His creatures, and just as
astronomers predict eclipses so we prognosticate the obscurations of the
church and how long they shall last. Our language is like unto that of Adam
and Enoch before the Fall, and though we understand and can explain our
mysteries in this our sacred language, we cannot do so in Latin, a tongue
contaminated by the confusion of Babylon.
Chapter X. Although there are still certain powerful persons who oppose and
hinder us--because of which we must remain concealed--we exhort those
who would become of our Fraternity to study unceasingly the Sacred
Scriptures, for such as do this cannot be far from us. We do not mean that
the Bible should be continually in the mouth of man, but that he should
search for its true and eternal meaning, which is seldom discovered by
theologians, scientists, or mathematicians because they are blinded by the
opinions of their sects. We bear witness that never since the beginning of the
world has there been given to man a more excellent book than the Holy
Bible. Blessed is he who possesses it, more blessed he who reads it, most
blessed he who understands it, and most godlike he who obeys it.
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self-created wealth. We therefore affirm that man must first gain knowledge,
virtue, and understanding; then all other things may be added unto him. We
accuse the Christian Church of the great sin of possessing power and using it
unwisely; therefore we prophesy that it shall fall by the weight of its own
iniquities and its crown shall be brought to naught.
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of exalted mind, and, to judge by his writings, of extreme personal sanctity. " (See The Real History of the
Rosicrucians.) Robert Fludd was born in 1574 and died in 1637.
The de Bry diagram shown above is almost self-explanatory. Outside the circle of the starry heavens are
the three fiery rings of the empyreum--the triple fire of the Supreme Creator--in which dwell the celestial
creatures. Within he, of the stars are the circles of the planets and elements. After the element of air comes
the circle of the world (earth). The circle of animals is followed by the circle of plants, which, in turn is
followed by the circle of he minerals. Then come various industries and in the center is a terrestrial globe
with an ape-man sitting upon it, measuring a sphere with a pair of compasses. This little figure represents
the animal creation. In the outer ring of fire, above is the sacred name of Jehovah surrounded by clouds.
From these clouds issues a hand holding a chain. Between the divine sphere and the lower world
personified by the ape is the figure of a woman. It is to be specially noted that the female figure is merely
holding the chain connecting her with the lower world, but the chain connecting her with the higher world
ends in a shackle about her wrist. This female figure is capable of several interpretations: she may
represent humanity suspended between divinity and the beast; she may represent Nature as the link
between God and the lower world; or she may represent the human soul--the common denominator
between the superior and the inferior.
sufficient ingenuity for imposition. Such men are mingled by the Enemy of
human welfare among those who seek to do good, thus making Truth more
difficult of discovery. Believe us, Truth is simple and unconcealed, while
falsehood is complex, deeply hidden, proud, and its fictitious worldly
knowledge, seemingly a glitter with godly luster, is often mistaken for divine
wisdom. You that are wise will turn from these false teachings and come to
us, who seek not your money but freely offer you our greater treasure. We
desire not your goods, but that you should become partakers of our goods.
We do not deride parables, but invite you to understand all parables and all
secrets. We do not ask you to receive us, but invite you to come unto our
kingly houses and palaces, not because of ourselves but because we are so
ordered by the Spirit of God, the desire of our most excellent Father C.R.C.,
and the need of the present moment, which is very great.
Chapter XIII. Now that we have made our position clear that we sincerely
confess Christ; disavow the Papacy; devote our lives to true philosophy and
worthy living; and daily invite and admit into our Fraternity the worthy of all
nations, who thereafter share with us the Light of God: will you not join
yourselves with us to the perfection of yourselves, the development of all the
arts, and the service of the world? If you will take this step, the treasures of
every part of the earth shall be at one time given unto you, and the darkness
which envelopes human knowledge and which results in the vanities of
material arts and sciences shall be forever dispelled.
Chapter XIV. Again we warn those who are dazzled by the glitter of gold or
those who, now upright, might be turned by great riches to a life of idleness
and pomp, not to disturb our sacred silence with their clamorings; for though
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there be a medicine which will cure all diseases and give unto all men
wisdom, yet it is against the will of God that men should attain to
understanding by any means other than virtue, labor, and integrity. We are
not permitted to manifest ourselves to any man except it be by the will of
God. Those who believe that they can partake of our spiritual wealth against
the will of God or without His sanction will find that they shall sooner lose
their lives in seeking us than attain happiness by finding us.
FRATERNITAS R.C.
"Now there are a kind of men, as they themselves report, named Rosie
Crucians, a divine fraternity that inhabit the suburbs of heaven, and these are
the officers of the Generalissimo of the world, that are as the eyes and ears
of the great King, seeing and hearing all things: they say these Rosie
Crucians are seraphically illuminated, as Moses was, according to this order
of the elements, earth refin'd to water, water to air, air to fire." He further
declares that these mysterious Brethren possessed polymorphous powers,
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appearing in any desired form at will. In the preface of the same work, he
enumerates the strange powers of the Rosicrucian adepts:
"I shall here tell you what Rosie Crucians are, and that Moses was their
Father, and he was ; some say they were of the order of Elias,
some say the Disciples of Ezekiel; * * * For it should seem Rosie Crucians
were not only initiated into the Mosaical Theory, but have arrived also to the
power of working miracles, as Moses, Elias, Ezekiel, and the succeeding
Prophets did, as being transported where they please, as Habakkuk was from
Jewry to Babylon, or as Philip, after he had baptized the Eunuch to Azorus,
and one of these went from me to a friend of mine in Devonshire, and came
and brought me an answer to London the some day, which is four days
journey; they caught me excellent predictions of Astrology and Earthquakes;
they slack the Plague in Cities; they silence the violent Winds and Tempests;
they calm the rage of the Sea and Rivers; they walk in the Air, they frustrate
the malicious aspects of Witches; they cure all Diseases."
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The Fraternity of R.C. is an august and sovereign body, arbitrarily
manipulating the symbols of alchemy, Qabbalism, astrology, and magic to
the attainment of its own peculiar purposes, but entirely independent of the
cults whose terminology it employs. The three major objects of the
Fraternity are:
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The Turb Philosophorum is one of the earliest known documents on alchemy in the Latin tongue. Its exact
origin is unknown. It is sometimes referred to as The Third Pythagorical Synod. As its name implies, it is
an assembly of the sages and sets forth the alchemical viewpoints of many of the early Greek philosophers.
The symbol reproduced above is from a rare edition of the Turb Philosophorum published in Germany in
1750, and represents by a hermaphroditic figure the accomplishment of the magnum opus. The active and
passive principles of Nature were often depicted by male and female figures, and when these two principle,
were harmoniously conjoined in any one nature or body it was customary to symbolize this state of perfect
equilibrium by the composite figure above shown.
sub rosa activities, the Rosicrucians left the Great Seal of the United States.
The Rosicrucians were also the instigators of the French Revolution, but in
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this instance were not wholly successful, owing to the fact that the
fanaticism of the revolutionists could not be controlled and the Reign of
Terror ensued.
"And at last they could restore by the same course every Brother that died to
life again, and so continue many ages; the rules you find in the fourth book.
* * * After this manner began the Fraternity of the Rosie Cross, first by four
persons, who died and rose again until Christ, and then they came to worship
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as the Star guided them to Bethlehem of Judea, where lay our Saviour in his
mother's arms; and then they opened their treasure and presented unto him
gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and by the commandment of God went
home to their habitation. These four waxing young again successively many
hundreds of years, made a magical language and writing, with a large
dictionary, which we yet daily use to God's praise and glory, and do find
great wisdom therein. * * * Now whilst Brother C.R. was in a proper womb
quickening, they concluded to draw and receive yet others more into their
Fraternity."
The womb herein referred to was apparently the glass casket, or container, in
which the Brothers were buried. This was also called the philosophical egg.
After a certain period of time the philosopher, breaking the shell of his egg,
came forth and functioned for a prescribed period, after which he retired
again into his shell of glass, The Rosicrucian medicine for the healing of all
human infirmities may be interpreted either as a chemical substance which
produces the physical effects described or as spiritual understanding--the
true healing power which, whet a man has partaken of it, reveals truth to
him. Ignorance is the worst form of disease, and that: which heals ignorance
is therefore the most potent of all medicines. The perfect Rosicrucian
medicine was for the healing of nations, races, and individuals.
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There is a growing conviction that if the true nature of Rosicrucianism were
divulged, it would cause consternation, to say the least. Rosicrucian symbols
have many meanings, but the Rosicrucian meaning has not yet been
revealed. The mount upon which stands the House of the Rosy Cross is still
concealed by clouds, in which the Brethren hide both themselves and their
secrets. Michael Maier writes: "What is contained in the Fama and
Confessio is true. It is a very childish objection that the brotherhood have
promised so much and performed so little. With them, as elsewhere, many
are called but few are chosen. The masters of the order hold out the rose as
the remote prize, but they impose the cross on those who are entering." (See
Silentium post Clamores, by Maier, and The Rosicrucians and the
Freemasons, by De Quincey.)
The rose and the cross appear upon the stained glass windows of Lichfield
Chapter House, where Walter Conrad Arensberg believes Lord Bacon and
his mother to have been buried. A crucified rose within a heart is
watermarked into the dedication page of the 1628 edition of Robert Burton's
Anatomy of Melancholy.
The fundamental symbols of the Rosicrucians were the rose and the cross;
the rose female and the cross male, both universal phallic emblems. While
such learned gentlemen as Thomas Inman, Hargrave Jennings, and Richard
Payne Knight have truly observed that the rose and the cross typify the
generative processes, these scholars seem unable to pierce the veil of
symbolism; they do not realize that the creative mystery in the material
world is merely a shadow of the divine creative mystery in the spiritual
world. Because of the phallic significance of their symbols, both the
Rosicrucians and the Templars have been falsely accused of practicing
obscene rites in their secret ceremonials. While it is quite true that the
alchemical retort symbolizes the womb, it also has a far more significant
meaning concealed under the allegory of the second birth. As generation is
the key to material existence, it is natural that the Fraternity of R.C. should
adopt as its characteristic symbols those exemplifying the reproductive
processes. As regeneration is the key to spiritual existence, they therefore
founded their symbolism upon the rose and the cross, which typify the
redemption of man through the union of his lower temporal nature with his
higher eternal nature. The rosy cross is also a hieroglyphic figure
representing the formula of the Universal Medicine.
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The five plates reproduced in Hargrave Jennings' book are part of a series of
fifteen diagrams which appear in The Magical, Qabbalistical, and
Theosophical Writings of Georgius von Welling, on the Subject of Salt,
Sulphur, and Mercury. This extremely rare volume was published at
Frankfort and Leipzig in 1735 and 1760. The numbers and figures on the
charts refer to the chapters and sections of the Writings. These fifteen charts
constitute a remarkable and invaluable addition to the few other known
admittedly authentic Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian diagrams.
Von Welling does not give a complete exposition of the fifteen charts; to
have done so would have been contrary to the principles of Qabbalistic
philosophy. The deeper significance of the symbols is revealed only by
profound study and contemplation.
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The space between B and C marks the orbits or planes of the seven Spiritual
Intelligences called the Divine Planets (not the visible planets). According to
the Mysteries, the souls of men enter the lower worlds through ring B, the
fixed stars. All creation reflects the glory of Schamayim, the energy that
filters into the spheres of the elements through the windows of the stars and
planets. Between C and D lies the region of the subtle, spiritual air, a
subdivision of ether. D to E marks the surface of the earth and sea, by which
are also meant grades of ether. E to F marks the lower region, called "The
Gathering of the Waters and the Production of the Virgin Earth, " or "Ares. "
The alchemists called this "quicksand," the true mystic foundation of the
solid earth. F to G marks the circle of the subterranean air, which is more
dense and coarse than that in the outer space, C to D. In this denser
atmosphere the stellar influences and celestial impulses are crystallized into
corporeal spirits, thus forming the multitude of forms which exist without
knowledge of their own fiery source. G is the region of the central fire of the
element earth, a coarse fire in contradistinction to the divine fiery
Schamayim. The sphere of the starry heavens likewise has its opposite in the
sphere of the subterranean air; and the sphere of the upper air (or subtle
vaporous water) has its opposite in the sphere E to F. The focal point, D to
E, between the three higher and the three lower spheres, is called "The
Reservoir." It receives impressions from both the superior and the inferior
regions and is common to both.
TABLE II, Figures 12-51. Figures 12, 13, 14 demonstrate the sphere as a
symbol of motion to be emblematic of fire, water, and air; and the cube as a
symbol of weight to be emblematic of earth. The sphere rests upon a point,
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
the cube upon a surface; the sphere is therefore used to symbolize spirit, and
the cube, matter. Figure 14 demonstrates that atmosphere rushing in behind a
falling object increases its velocity and apparently adds to its weight. The
essential nature of each element is occultly signified by the peculiar symbol
and character assigned to it.
Of Figure 15, the symbol of salt, von Welling writes, in substance: The cube
has six sides, corresponding to the six days of creation, with the point of rest
(the seventh day) in the center of the cube. On each surface of the cube
appear the signs of the four elements [triangles]. The alchemists declared
that salt was the first created substance produced by the fire (Schamayim)
which flowed out of God. In salt all creation is concentrated; in salt are the
beginning and end of all things. The cube, furthermore, is composed of
twelve bodies, each of which has six sides. These bodies are the twelve
fundamental pillars of the true invisible church, and when these twelve
bodies are multiplied by their six sides the magical number 72 results. The
wise have said that nothing is perfect until it has been dissolved, separated,
and again united so that it becomes a body composed of twelve bodies, like
the cube. The cube also consists of six pyramids with the six surfaces of the
cube as their bases. The points of these six pyramids meet at the center of
the cube. These six pyramids, each consisting of four triangles, signify the
elements, and produce the magical number 24, which refers to the Elders
before the Throne. The six surfaces and the point constitute the magical
number 7. If 7 be multiplied by 7 again, and so on 7 times, the answer will
reveal the method used by the ancients for measuring the periods of eternity;
thus: (1) 7 X 7 = 49; (2) 49 X 7 = 343; (3) 343 X 7 = 2,401; (4) 2,401 X 7 =
16,807; (5):16,807 X 7 = 117,649; (6) 117,649 X 7 = 823,543; (7) 823,543
X 7 = 5,764,801. (This is not to be taken as earth years or times.) The 5,000,
000 represents the great hall year; the 700,000 the great Sabbath year,
wherein all human beings gradually gain true understanding and become
heirs to their original and eternal inheritance, which was lost when they were
enmeshed in the lower elements. The 64,800 is the number of the fallen
angels, and the last one year signifies the liberation of Lucifer and return to
his original estate.
Figure 16 is another symbol of salt, while Figure 17 (the dot) is the sign of
spirit, gold, the sun, or the germ of life. If the dot be moved before itself it
becomes a line, Figure 18. This motion of the dot is the first motion. The
beginning and end of every line is a dot. Figure 19 is the circle. It is the
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second motion and the most perfect of all lines. Out of it are formed all
figures and bodies
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Figure 26 is the character of the air, showing that air is born out of the
Eternal Light and the ethereal water. Figure 27 is the character of water. It is
the inversion of Figure 26, indicating that its origin is from the lower fire
and not the higher. Its upper part signifies that water does not lack the
Divine element, but as a universal mirror reflects the heavenly influences.
Figures 28 and 29 are symbols of salt, showing that it is both fire and water
in one. Figure 30 is the character of fire in all its attributes, and Figure M
(the same inverted), water in all its powers. Figure 32 is the character of salt
in all its attributes. Figure 33 represents both gold and the sun. Their
essential natures are identical, being formed from the first fire out of
Schamayim. They are perfect, as can be seen from their symbol, for no more
perfect form can be produced out of the dot than the circle.
Figure 34 is the character of the greater and lesser worlds; as the dot is
surrounded by its circumference, this world is surrounded by Schamayim.
Man (the Little World) is included in this symbol because his inner nature is
potential gold (Aphar Min Haadamah), which gold is his eternal
indestructible spiritual body. Gold is the masculine principle of the universe.
Figure 35 is the character of silver and the moon. It signifies that silver (like
gold) is a perfect metal, except that the red part of its nature is turned
inward. Silver is the feminine principle of the universe.
Figure 36 is the character of copper and Venus; Figure 37, of iron and Mars;
Figure 38, of tin and Jupiter; Figure 39, of lead and Saturn; Figure 40, of
Mercury (both the planet and the element); Figure 41, of antimony, the key
metal of the earth itself; Figure 42, of arsenic; Figure 43, of sulphur; Figure
44, of cinnabar; Figure 45, of quicklime; Figure 46, of nitre; and Figure 47,
of vitriol. Figure 48 is the character of sal ammoniac, which element derives
its name from the Temple of Jupiter Ammon in an Egyptian desert, where it
was found. Figure 49 is the character of alum; Figure 50, of alkali, a name of
Arabian origin; and Figure 51, of sal tartar, a substance possessing great
occult virtue.
TABLE Ill, Figure 52. The eight globes and the central square represent the
seven days of creation. The three worlds wherein creation occurs are
symbolized by three concentric rings. The German words in the outer ring
are extracts from the first chapter of Genesis. The words around the outside
of the outer ring are The First Day. The four small globes inside the outer
ring deal with the abstract phases of creation. The upper globe containing the
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triangle encloses the words Heaven and Earth. The globe to the right
contains the word Light, and the one to the left, Jehovah Elohim in the upper
part and Darkness in the lower part. The globe at the bottom contains the
word Day in the upper half and Night in the lower.
The four globes within the second ring depict the second, third, fourth, and
fifth days of creation. The white globe above divided by a dotted line is
designated The Second Day; the globe to the left with the mountains, The
Third Day; the globe to the right with the planetary rings, The Fourth Day;
and the globe below bisected by a dotted line, The Fifth Day. The square in
the central ring containing the human form is marked The Sixth Day. This
chart is a diagrammatic exposition of the three layers of the macrocosmic
and microcosmic auric eggs, showing the forces active within them.
TABLE IV, Figure. 53. Figure 53 has been designated the symbolic tomb of
Christian Rosencreutz. The upper circle is the first world--the Divine Sphere
of God. The triangle in the center is the throne of God. The small circles at
the points of the star symbolize the seven great Spirits before the throne,
mentioned in the Book of Revelation, in the midst of which walks the Alpha
and Omega--the Son of God. The central triangle contains three flames--the
Divine Trinity. From the lowest of these flames proceeds the first divine
outflow, shown by two parallel lines descending through the throne of
Saturn (the Spirit Orifelis, through whom God manifested Himself). Passing
through the boundary of the celestial universe and the 22 spheres of the
lower system, the lines end at point B, the throne of Lucifer, in whom the
divine outpouring is concentrated and reflected. From him the divine light
irradiates in succession to d (Capricorn), e (Gemini), f (Libra), g (Taurus), h
(Pisces), i (Aquarius), k (Cancer), l (Virgo), m (Aries), n (Leo), o (Scorpio),
p (Sagittarius), thence back to d. The zodiacal circles represent twelve orders
of great and beneficent Spirits, and the smaller circles within the ring of
fixed stars mark the orbits of the sacred planets.
TABLE V, Figure 54. Figure 54 is similar to Figure 53, but represents the
universe at the time God manifested Himself through the character of
Jupiter, the Spirit Sachasiel. Von Welling gives no reason for the change in
the order of influx into the twelve orders of spirits, for the third world, for
the adding of another circle and the interlaced triangles in the upper world,
or for the letters Y and Z. In the upper triangle,
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Table V, Figure 54
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A represents the Father Principle, F the divine outflow, G the point of influx
into the twelve orders of spirits (probably Sagittarius). The letters H, I, J, K,
L, M, N, O, P, Q, S, and T denote the sequential points of irradiations to each
other; W and X, the World of the Sons of God; and B, C, D, and E, the World
of Lucifer. This plate shows the universe after the descent of Lucifer into
matter. According to von Welling, when Lucifer wanted to control power,
the influx of the divine light instantly ceased. Lucifer's world (which later
became the solar system), with all its legions of spirits (who in their essence
were Schamayim) reflecting his ideas and inverting the divine light, was
turned into darkness. Lucifer's Schamayim thereupon became a contracted
disc, a tangible substance; and Chaos came into existence.
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midst of the darkness; and Figure 58, the regions of the elements and their
inhabitants. The four A's signify the Abyss surrounding all things. The A B is
the fiery throne of Lucifer. The plane of g is the subterranean air; f, the
subterranean water; c, the earth region; d, the outer water; e, the outer air, W
and X the region of Schamayim. The elemental inhabitants of the planes
differ in goodness according to their proximity to the center of wickedness
(A B). The earth's surface (c) divides the subterranean elementals from those
of the outer water, air, and fire (d, c, and X). The elementals of the upper
strata (the upper half of c, and all of d, e, and X) represent an ascending scale
of virtue, while those of the lower strata (the lower half of c, and all of f, g,
and A B) represent a descending scale of depravity.
The region of air (e) is a partial exception to this order. While air is close to
the light and filled with beautiful spirits, it is also the habitation of
Beelzebub, the Evil Spirit of the air, with his legion of elemental demons.
Upon the subtle element of air are impressed the influences of the stars; the
thoughts, words, and deeds of man; and a myriad of mysterious influences
from the various planes of Nature. Man inhales these impressions, and they
produce diverse effects upon his mind. In air are suspended also the seed
germs by which water is impregnated and made capable of bringing forth
forms of organic and inorganic life. The grotesque figures seen in crystal
caves and frost pictures upon windows are caused by these aerial
impressions. While the air elementals are great and wise, they are
treacherous and confused because amenable to both good and evil
impressions. The mighty elemental beings who inhabit the watery light fire
of the region X cannot be deceived by the spirits of darkness. They love the
creatures of the waters, for the watery element (d) proceeded from the fiery
water (X). Mortal man cannot endure the society of these fiery spirits, but
gains wisdom from them through the creatures of the waters in which they
continually mirror themselves. Figure 59 represents this solar system, with
W and X as the locality of the Garden of Eden.
TABLE VII, Figures 1-5, 7, 8. (Table VIII has Figure 6.) Figure 1 is the
triune divine sulphur, the All-Perfect out of the All-Perfect, the Soul of
creatures. The threefold Divine One is symbolized by three interlaced circles
designated alchemically salt, sulphur, and mercury. In the central triangle is
the divine name Ehieh. Geist means spirit. The other words require no
translation. Figure 2 is common destructive sulphur. A bar placed in the
triangle makes it the character of earth. Figure 3 is true oil of vitriol,
composed of a circle with two diameters and two reversed half-circles
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hanging below. In this are hidden the characters of all metals. Tin is
symbolized by Figure 4 and iron by Figure 5. Figure 7 is the solar system
according to Copernicus. Figure 8 is the last judgment. The sun is removed
from the center of the solar system and replaced by the earth. This changes
the respective positions of all the other planets except Mars, Jupiter, and
Saturn, which retain their respective circles. The letter a signifies the circle
of the sun; b, that of Mercury; c, that of Venus; d, (sic) that of the moon; and
E, that of the earth. Inward from the sphere h are the great circles of
damnation.
TABLE VII., Figure 6. In Figure 6 the letter a marks the center of eternity.
The motion of the rays toward b, d, and c was the first divine manifestation
and is symbolized by the equilateral triangle, b, d, c. The eternal world
within the inner circle became manifest in the water (salt), the light
(mercury), and the fire (sulphur) of the archetypal world, represented by the
three circles (f, e, g) within the triangle of complete equality (h, i, k), which
is in turn surrounded by the circle of the high throne. The circle f is named
understanding; e, wisdom; g, reason. In circle i is the word Father; in circle
h, Son; in circle k, Spirit. The seven outer circles are the seven spirits before
the throne. The lower part of the figure is similar to Figures 53 and 54. The
outer circles are the angelic world ending in the cognizable world of the
Sons of God. Then comes the circle of the visible constellations and fixed
stars; within this is the solar system with the sun as the center (l). Ungrund
means the Abyss.
TABLE IX, Figure 9. Figure 9 is a synthesis of the Old and New Testaments
and represents the interblending planes of being. In the right margin the
seven outer circles contain the names of the planetary angels. The words in
the graduated circles from the top triangle downward read: (1) Abyss of
Compassion; (2) Zion; (3) The New Heaven and the New Earth; (4) The New
Jerusalem; (5) Paradise; (6) The Bosom of Abraham; (7) The Outer Courts
of the Lord. From below the circles of darkness reach upward, each divine
principle being opposed by an infernal opposite. The small circle on the left
containing a triangle and cross is named The Tree of Life, and that on the
right The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In the center of the
diagram is the Trinity, joined with the superior and inferior planes by lines
of activity.
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of the cube. In the center is the eye of God. The words round the outer circle
are from the Book of Revelation. Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 possibly are
cipher symbols of the angels of the plagues, the name of the Antichrist, the
signature of the beast of Babylon, and the name of the woman riding on the
beast of blasphemy.
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TABLE XI, Figures 1.-11. Figure 1 is the solar system according to Genesis.
The o on top of the radius of the circle is the dot of Eternity--the Beginning
of Beginnings. The whole diameter is the outflow of God, manifesting first
in the heaven of heavens--the Schamayim, in which region human
understanding cannot function. The space from k to i contains the heavens of
Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars; l to m, the heavens of Venus and Mercury; m to h,
the heavens of the sun. The letter e is the moon, the circle of the earth.
Figure 2 is the globe of the earth, showing the houses and signs of the
zodiac. Figure 3 is the character of the Universal Mercury (Divine Life) in
its triune aspect of mercury, sulphur, and salt. Figure 4 is true saltpetre
purified with quicklime and alkali. Figure 5 shows the exact degree or angle
of the planets' places as well as the individual fixed stars in the zodiac. The
letter a is the sun and b is the earth. From k to i are the circles of Mercury
and Venus; g to h, the circles of earth and moon; f to e and e to c, of Jupiter
and Saturn; c to d, the starry belt or zodiac. Figure 6 is the Microcosm, with
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the planets and signs of the zodiac corresponding to the different parts of its
form. The words upon the figure read: Know thyself. In words, herbs, and
stones lies a great power. Figure 7 is the universal character from which all
characters have been taken. Figures 8, 9, and 10 are left to the solution of the
reader. Figure 11 is the radiating Universal Mercury.
Figure 17 shows the creation of the solar system out of the ring of the Divine
Eternity. The four A's are the Abyss, B is the first revelation of God out of
the Abyss, and from this revelation C, D, E, F, and G were created. C and D
represent the spiritual hierarchies; D and E, the upper worlds, or
constellations; E and F, the distance from Jupiter to the upper worlds; F and
G, the solar system with its planets and their heavens; B and C the throne of
Christ.
TABLE XIII, Figures 1-4. Figure 1 is Ain Soph, the Incomprehensible Abyss
of Divine Majesty, an endless welling up, limitless in time and space. Figure
2 symbolizes the three Divine Principles--Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Around the triangle is written: I Shall Be That I Shall Be. At the apex of the
triangle is the word Crown; in the left point, Wisdom; in the right point,
Understanding. Figure 3 represents the Trinity with its outflow. The words
above the upper sphere are Revelation of the Divine Majesty in Jehovah
Elohim. The lower circles contain the names of the Hierarchies controlling
the lower worlds. The words within the circle of stars read: Lucifer the Son
of the Aurora of the morning. The letter C represents the Universal Mercury.
The words within the circle read: The first beginning of all creatures. Figure
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4 represents the abode of Lucifer and his angels, the Chaos spoken of in
Genesis.
TABLE XV, Figures 6, 9, 10. Figure 6 is similar to Figure 5 and is called The
Secret of Nature. An interesting diagram is shown on either side of the
central figure, each consisting of a triangle with circles radiating from its
points. The diagram on the left is called The Secrets of the Upper World, and
the one on right The Secrets of the Underworld.
Figure 9 is the solar system. Around the central part are the words The Place
of the Damned. Figure 10 shows the dot, or point of rest, surrounded by a
triangle enclosing a circle containing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
It represents completion of the process of regeneration and the
consummation of the Great Work.
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Among the more prominent names are those of Thomas Norton, Isaac of
Holland, Basil Valentine (the supposed discoverer of antimony), Jean de
Meung, Roger Bacon, Albertus Magnus, Quercetanus Gerber (the Arabian
who brought the knowledge of alchemy to Europe through his writings),
Paracelsus, Nicholas Flarnmel, John Frederick Helvetius, Raymond Lully,
Alexander Sethon, Michael Sendivogius, Count Bernard of Treviso, Sir
George Ripley, Picus de Mirandola, John Dee, Henry Khunrath, Michael
Maier, Thomas Vaughan, J. B. von Helmont, John Heydon, Lascaris,
Thomas Charnock, Synesius (Bishop of Ptolemais), Morieu, the Comte di
Cagliostro, and the Comte de St.-Germain. There are legends to the effect
that King Solomon and Pythagoras were alchemists and that the former
manufactured by alchemical means the gold used in his temple.
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Albert Pike takes sides with the alchemical philosophers by declaring that
the gold of the Hermetists was a reality. He says: "The Hermetic science,
like all the real sciences, is mathematically demonstrable. Its results, even
material, are as rigorous as that of a correct equation. The Hermetic Gold is
not only a true dogma, a light without Shadow, a Truth without alloy of
falsehood; it is also a material gold, real, pure, the most precious that can be
found in the mines of the earth." So much for the Masonic angle.
William and Mary jointly ascended the throne of England in 1689, at which
time alchemists must have abounded in the kingdom, for during the first year
of their reign they repealed an Act made by King Henry IV in which that
sovereign declared the multiplying of metals to be a crime against the crown.
In Dr. Sigismund Bacstrom's Collection of Alchemical Manuscripts is a
handwritten copy of the Act passed by William and Mary, copied from
Chapter 30 of Statutes at Large for the first year of their reign. The Act reads
as follows: "An Act to repeal the Statute made in the 5th year of King Henry
IV, late king of England, [wherein] it was enacted, among other things, in
these words, or to this effect, namely: 'that none from henceforth should use
to multiply Gold or Silver or use the craft of multiplication, and if any the
same do they shall incur the pain of felony.' And whereas, since the making
of the said statute, divers persons have by their study, industry and learning,
arrived to great skill & perfection in the art of melting and refining of
metals, and otherwise improving and multiplying them and their ores, which
very much abound in this realm, and extracting gold and silver our of the
same, but dare not to exercise their said skill within this realm, for fear of
falling under the penalty of the said statute, but exercise the said art in
foreign parts, to the great loss and detriment of this realm: Be it therefore
enacted by the King's and Queen's most excellent Majesties, by and with the
advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal and Commons in this
present parliament assembled, that from henceforth the aforesaid branch,
article, or sentence, contained in the said act, and every word, matter and
thing contained in the said branch or sentence, shall be repealed, annulled,
revoked, and for ever made void, any thing in the said act to the contrary in
any wise whatsoever notwithstanding. Provided always, and be it enacted by
the authority aforesaid, that all the gold and silver that shall be extracted by
the aforesaid art of melting or refining of metals, and otherwise improving
and multiplying of them and their ores, as before set forth, be from
henceforth employed for no other use or uses whatsoever but for the increase
of monies; and that the place hereby appointed for the disposal thereof shall
be their Majesties mint, within the Tower of London, at which place they are
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to receive the full and true value of their gold and silver, so procured, from
time to time, according to the assay and fineness thereof, and so for any
greater or less weight, and that none of that metal of gold and silver so
refined and procured be permitted to be used or disposed of in any other
place or places within their Majesties dominions." After this repealing
measure had become effective, William and Mary encouraged the further
study of alchemy.
"The most indisputable proof (if appearances can prove anything) of the
possibility of transmuting base metals into gold, may be seen by everyone
who visits Vienna; it being a medal preserved in the Imperial treasury
chamber, and it is stated that this medal, consisting originally of silver, has
been partly transformed into gold, by alchemical means, by the same Wenzel
Seiler who was afterwards made a knight by the Emperor Leopold I. and
given the title Wenzeslaus Ritter von Reinburg. "(In the Pronaos of the
Temple of Wisdom.)
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PARACELSUS
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PARACELSUS OF HOHENHEIM
When twenty years old he began a series of travels which continued for
about twelve years. He visited many European countries, including Russia. It
is possible that he penetrated into Asia. It was in Constantinople that the
great secret of the Hermetic arts was bestowed upon him by Arabian adepts.
His knowledge of the Nature spirits and the inhabitants of the invisible
worlds he probably secured from the Brahmins of India with whom he came
in contact either directly or through their disciples. He became an army
physician, and his understanding and skill brought him great success.
The remarkable cures which Paracelsus effected only made his enemies hate
him more bitterly, for they could not duplicate the apparent miracles which
he wrought. He not only treated the more common diseases of his day but is
said to have actually cured leprosy, cholera, and cancer. His friends claimed
for him that he all but raised the dead. His systems of healing were so
heterodox, however, that slowly but surely his enemies overwhelmed him
and again and again forced him to leave the fields of his labors and seek
refuge where he was not known.
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There is much controversy concerning the personality of Paracelsus. That he
had an irascible disposition there is no doubt. His barred for physicians and
for women amounted to a mania; for them he had nothing but abuse. As far
as can be learned, there was never a love affair in his life. His peculiar
appearance and immoderate system of living were always held against him
by his adversaries. It is believed that his physical abnormalities may have
been responsible for much of the bitterness against society which he carried
with him throughout all his intolerant and tempestuous life.
His reputed intemperance brought upon him still more persecution, for it
was asserted that even during the time of his professorship in the University
of Basel he was seldom sober. Such an accusation is difficult to understand
in view of the marvelous mental clarity for which he was noted at all times.
The vast amount of writing which he accomplished (the Strassburg Edition
of his collected works is in three large volumes, each containing several
hundred pages) is a monumental contradiction of the tales regarding his
excessive use of alcoholics.
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authority of Aristotle, Galen and Avicenna, and having found what to his
mind was a satisfactory substitute for the ancient dogmas in his own
modification of the neo-Platonic philosophy, he did not hesitate to burn his
ships behind him.
"Having cut loose from the dominant Galenism of his time, he determined to
preach and teach that the basis of the medical science of the future should be
the study of nature, observation of the patient, experiment and experience,
and not the infallible dogmas of authors long dead. Doubtless in the pride
and self-confidence of his youthful enthusiasm he did not rightly estimate
the tremendous force of conservatism against which he directed his assaults.
If so, his experience in Basel surely undeceived him. From that time on he
was to be a wanderer again, sometimes in great poverty, sometimes in
moderate comfort, but manifestly disillusioned as to the immediate success
of his campaign though never in doubt as to its ultimate success--for to his
mind his new theories and practice of medicine were at one with the forces
of nature, which were the expression of God's will, and eventually they must
prevail."
This strange man, his nature a mass of contradictions, his stupendous genius
shining like a star through the philosophic and scientific darkness of
medival Europe, struggling against the jealousy of his colleagues as well as
against the irascibility of his own nature, fought for the good of the many
against the domination of the few. He was the first man to write scientific
books in the language of the common people so that all could read them.
Even in death Paracelsus found no rest. Again and again his bones were dug
up and reinterred in another place. The slab of marble over his grave bears
the following inscription: "Here lies buried Philip Theophrastus the famous
Doctor of Medicine who cured Wounds, Leprosy, Gout, Dropsy and other
incurable Maladies of the Body, with wonderful Knowledge and gave his
Goods to be divided and distributed to the Poor. In the Year 1541 on the
24th day of September he exchanged Life for Death. To the Living Peace, to
the Sepulchred Eternal Rest."
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monument and prayed him to avert it from their homes. The dreaded scourge
passed away from them and raged in Germany and the rest of Austria."
ALBERTUS MAGNUS
On one occasion Albertus Magnus invited William II, Count of Holland and King of the Romans, to a
garden party in midwinter. The ground was covered with snow, but Albertus, had prepare a sumptuous
banquet in the open grounds of his monastery at Cologne. The guests were amazed at the imprudence of the
philosopher, but as they sat down to eat Albertus, uttered a few words, the snow disappeared, the garden
was filled with flowers and singing birds, and the air was warm with the breezes of summer. As soon as the
feast was over, the snow returned, much to the amazement of the assembled nobles. (For details, see The
Lives of Alchemystical Philosophers.)
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It was supposed that one early teacher of Paracelsus was a mysterious
alchemist who called himself Solomon Trismosin. Concerning this person
nothing is known save that after some years of wandering he secured the
formula of transmutation and claimed to have made vast amounts of gold. A
beautifully illuminated manuscript of this author, dated 1582 and called
Splendor Solis, is in the British Museum. Trismosin claimed to have lived to
the age of 150 as the result of his knowledge of alchemy. One very
significant statement appears in his Alchemical Wanderings, which work is
supposed to narrate his search for the Philosopher's Scone: "Study what thou
art, whereof thou art a part, what thou knowest of this art, this is really what
thou art. All that is without thee also is within, thus wrote Trismosin."
RAYMOND LULLY
This most famous of all the Spanish alchemists was born about the year
1235. His father was seneschal to James the First of Aragon, and young
Raymond was brought up in the court surrounded by the temptations and
profligacy abounding in such places. He was later appointed to the position
which his father had occupied. A wealthy marriage ensured Raymond's
financial position, and he lived the life of a grandee.
One of the most beautiful women at: the court of Aragon was Donna
Ambrosia Eleanora Di Castello, whose virtue and beauty had brought her
great renown. She was at that time married and was not particularly pleased
to discover that young Lully was rapidly developing a passion for her.
Wherever she went Raymond followed, and at last over a trivial incident he
wrote some very amorous verses to her, which produced an effect quite
different from what he had expected. He received a message inviting him to
visit the lady. He responded with alacrity. She told him that it was only fair
that he should behold more of the beauty concerning which he wrote such
appealing poems and, drawing aside part of her garments, disclosed that one
side of her body was nearly eaten away by a cancer. Raymond never
recovered from the shock. It turned the entire course of his life. He
renounced the frivolities of the court and became a recluse.
Sometime afterwards while doing penance for his worldly sins a vision
appeared to him in which Christ told him to follow in the direction in which
He should lead. Later the vision was repeated. Hesitating no longer,
Raymond divided his property among his family and retired to a hut on the
side of a hill, where he devoted himself to the study of Arabic, that he might
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go forth and convert the infidels. After six years in this retreat he set out
with a Mohammedan servant, who, when he learned that Raymond was
about to attack the faith of his people, buried his knife in his master's back.
Raymond refused to allow his would-be assassin to be executed, but later the
man strangled himself in prison.
"Raymond had appealed so often to popes and kings that he had lost all faith
in them; nevertheless, as a last hope, he accompanied his friend Cremer to
England. Cremer lodged him in his abbey, treating him with distinction; and
there Lully at last instructed him in the powder, the secret of which Cremer
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had so long desired to know. When the powder was perfected, Cremer
presented him to the king, who received him as a man may be supposed to
receive one who could give him boundless riches. Raymond made only one
condition; that the gold he made should not be expended upon the luxuries
of the court or upon a war with any Christian king; and that Edward himself
should go in person with an army against the infidels. Edward promised
everything and anything.
"Raymond had apartments assigned him in the Tower, and there he tells us
he transmuted fifty thousand pounds weight of quicksilver, lead, and tin into
pure gold, which was coined at the mint into six million of nobles, each
worth about three pounds sterling at the present day. Some of the pieces said
to have been coined out of this gold are still to be found in antiquarian
collections. [While desperate attempts have been made to disprove these
statements, the evidence is still about equally divided.] To Robert Bruce he
sent a little work entitled Of the Art of Transmuting Metals. Dr. Edmund
Dickenson relates that when the cloister which Raymond occupied at
Westminster was removed, the workmen found some of the powder, with
which they enriched themselves.
"He went first to Egypt, then to Jerusalem, and thence to Tunis a third time.
There he at last met with the martyrdom he had so often braved. The people
fell upon him and stoned him. Some Genoese merchants carried away his
body, in which they discerned some feeble signs of life. They carried him on
board their vessel; but, though he lingered awhile, he died as they came in
sight of Majorca, on the 28th of June, 1315, at the age of eighty-one. He was
buried with great honour in his family chapel at St. Ulma, the viceroy and all
the principal nobility attending."
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NICHOLAS FLAMMEL
In the latter part of the fourteenth century there lived in Paris one whose
business was that of illuminating manuscripts and preparing deeds and
documents. To Nicholas Flammel the world is indebted for its knowledge of
a most remarkable volume, which he bought for a paltry sum from some
bookdealer with whom his profession of scrivener brought him in contact.
The story of this curious document, called the Book of Abraham the Jew, is
best narrated
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the great Hermetic arcanum to perpetuate their wisdom by creating imaginary persons, involving them in
episodes of contemporaneous history and thus establishing these beings as prominent members of society--
in some cases even fabricating complete genealogies to attain that end. The names by which these fictitious
characters were known revealed nothing to the uniformed. To the initiated, however, they signified that the
personality to which they were assigned had no existence other than a symbolic one. These initiated
chroniclers carefully concealed their arcanum in the lives, thoughts, words. and acts ascribed to these
imaginary persons and thus safely transmitted through the ages the deepest secrets of occultism as writings
which to the unconversant were nothing more than biographies.
"As for that which was within it, the leaves of bark or rind, were engraven
and with admirable diligence written, with a point of iron, in fair and neat
Latin letters colored. It contained thrice seven leaves, for so were they
counted in the top of the leaves, and always every seventh leaf there was
painted a virgin and serpent swallowing her up. In the second seventh, a
cross where a serpent was crucified; and the last seventh, there were painted
deserts, or wildernesse, in the midst whereof ran many fair fountains, from
whence there issued out a number of serpents, which ran up and down here
and there. Upon the first of the leaves, was written in great capital letters of
gold, Abraham the Jew, Prince, Priest, Levite, Astrologer, and Philosopher,
to the Nation of the Jews, by the Wrath of God dispersed among the Gauls,
sendeth Health. After this it was filled with great execrations and curses
(with this word Maranatha, which was often repeated there) against every
person that should cast his eyes upon it, if he were not Sacrificer or Scribe.
"He that sold me this book knew not what it was worth nor more than I when
I bought it; I believe it had been stolen or taken from the miserable Jews, or
found in some part of the ancient place of their abode. Within the book, in
the second leaf, he comforted his nation, counselling them to fly vices, and
above all idolatry, attending with sweet patience the coming of the Messias,
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Who should vanquish all the kings of the earth and should reign with His
people in glory eternally. Without doubt this had been some very wise and
understanding man.
"In the third leaf, and in all the other writings that followed, to help his
captive nation to pay their tributes unto the Roman emperors, and to do other
things, which I will not speak of, he taught them in common words the
transmutation of metals; he painted the vessels by the sides, and he
advertised them of the colors, and of all the rest, saving of the first agent, of
the which he spake not a word, but only (as he said) in the fourth and fifth
leaves entire he painted it, and figured it with very great cunning and
workman ship: for although it was well and intelligibly figured and painted,
yet no man could ever have been able to understand it, without being well
skilled in their Cabala, which goeth by tradition, and without having well
studied their books.
"The fourth and fifth leaves therefore, were without any writing, all full of
fair figures enlightened, or as it were enlightened, for the work was very
exquisite. First he painted a young man with wings at his ancles, having in
his hand a Caducean rod, writhen about with two serpents, wherewith he
struck upon a helmet which covered his head. He seemed to my small
judgment, to be the God Mercury of the pagans: against him there came
running and flying with open wings, a great old man, who upon his head had
an hour glass fastened, and in his hand a book (or syrhe) like death, with the
which, in terrible and furious manner, he would have cut off the feet of
Mercury. On the other side of the fourth leaf, he painted a fair flower on the
top of a very high mountain which was sore shaken with the North wind; it
had the foot blue, the flowers white and red, the leaves shining like fine
gold: and round about it the dragons and griffons of the North made their
nests and abode.
"On the fifth leaf there was a fair rose tree flowered in the midst of a sweet
garden, climbing up against a hollow oak; at the foot whereof boiled a
fountain of most white water, which ran headlong down into the depths,
notwithstanding it first passed among the hands of infinite people, who
digged in the earth seeking for it; but because they were blind, none of them
knew it, except here and there one who considered the weight. On the last
side of the fifth leaf there was a king with a great fauchion, who made to be
killed in his presence by some soldiers a great multitude of little infants,
whose mothers wept at the feet of the unpitiful soldiers: the blood of which
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infants was afterwards by other soldiers gathered up, and put in a great
vessel, wherein the sun and the moon came to bathe themselves.
"And because that this history did represent the more part of that of the
innocents slain by Herod, and that in this book I learned the greatest part of
the art, this was one of the causes why I placed in their church-yard these
Hieroglyphic Symbols of this secret science. And thus you see that which
was in the first five leaves.
"I will not represent unto you that which was written in good and intelligible
Latin in all the other written leaves, for God would punish me, because I
should commit a greater wickedness, than he who (as it is said) wished that
all the men of the World had but one head that he might cut it off with one
blow. Having with me therefore this fair book, I did nothing else day nor
night, but study upon it, understanding very well all the operations that it
showed, but not knowing with what matter I should begin, which made me
very heavy and solitary, and caused me to fetch many a sigh. My wife
Perrenella, whom I loved as myself, and had lately married was much
astonished at this, comforting me, and earnestly demanding, if she could by
any means deliver me from this trouble. I could not possibly hold my
tongue, but told her all, and showed this fair book, whereof at the same
instant that she saw it, she became as much enamoured as myself, taking
extreme pleasure to behold the fair cover, gravings, images, and portraits,
whereof notwithstanding she understood as little as I: yet it was a great
comfort to me to talk with her, and to entertain myself, what we should do to
have the interpretation of them."
Nicholas Flammel spent many years studying the mysterious book. He even
painted the pictures from it all over the walls of his house and made
numerous copies which he showed to the learned men with whom he came
in contact, but none could explain their secret significance. At last he
determined to go forth in quest of an adept, or wise man, and after many
wanderings he met a physician--by name Master Canches--who was
immediately interested in the diagrams and asked to see the original book.
They started forth together for Paris, and or, the way the physician adept
explained many of the principles of the hieroglyphics to Flammel, but before
they reached their journey's end Master Canches was taken ill and died.
Flammel buried him at Orleans, but having meditated deeply on the
information he had secured during their brief acquaintance, he was able,
with the assistance of his wife, to work out the formula for transmuting base
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metals into gold. He performed the experiment several times with perfect
success, and before his death caused a number of hieroglyphic figures to be
painted upon an arch of St. Innocent's churchyard in Paris, wherein he
concealed the entire formula as it had been revealed to him from the Book of
Abraham the Jew.
Of all those who sought for the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher's Scone,
few passed through the chain of disappointments that beset Count Bernard of
Treviso, who was born in Padua in 1406 and died in 1490. His search for the
Philosopher's Stone and the secret of the transmutation of metals began
when he was but fourteen years of age. He spent not only a lifetime but also
a fortune in his quest. Count Bernard went from one alchemist and
philosopher to another, each of whom unfolded some pet theorem which he
eagerly accepted and experimented with but always without the desired
result. His family believed him to be mad and declared that he was
disgracing his house by his experiments, which were rapidly reducing him to
a state of penury. He traveled in many countries, hoping that in distant
places he would find wise men capable of assisting him. At last as he was
approaching his seventy-sixth year, he was rewarded with success. The great
secrets of the Elixir of Life, the Philosopher's Stone, and the transmutation
of metals were revealed to him. He wrote a little book describing the results
of his labors, and while he lived only a few years to enjoy the fruitage of his
discovery he was thoroughly satisfied that the treasure he had found was
worth the lifetime spent in search of it. An example of the industry and
perseverance displayed by him is to be found in one of the processes which
some foolish pretender coaxed him to attempt and which resulted in his
spending twenty years calcining egg shells and nearly an equal period
distilling alcohol and other substances. In the history of alchemical research
there never was a more patient and persevering disciple of the Great
Arcanum.
Bernard declared the process of dissolution, accomplished not with fire but
with mercury, to be the supreme secret of alchemy,
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ALCHEMY, the secret art of the land of Khem, is one of the two oldest
sciences known to the world. The other is astrology. The beginnings of both
extend back into the obscurity of prehistoric times. According to the earliest
records extant, alchemy and astrology were considered as divinely revealed
to man so that by their aid he might regain his lost estate. According to old
legends preserved by the Rabbins, the angel at the gate of Eden instructed
Adam in the mysteries of Qabbalah and of alchemy, promising that when the
human race had thoroughly mastered the secret wisdom concealed within
these inspired arts, the curse of the forbidden fruit would be removed and
man might again enter into the Garden of the Lord. As man took upon
himself "coats of skins" (physical bodies) at the time of his fall, so these
sacred sciences were brought by him into the lower worlds incarnated in
dense vehicles, through which their spiritual transcendental natures could no
longer manifest themselves. Therefore they were considered as being dead
or lost.
The earthly body of alchemy is chemistry, for chemists do not realize that
half of The Book of Torah is forever concealed behind the veil of Isis (see
the Tarot), and that so long as they study only material elements they can at
best discover but half of the mystery. Astrology has crystallized into
astronomy, whose votaries ridicule the dreams of ancient seers and sages,
deriding their symbols as meaningless products of superstition.
Nevertheless, the intelligentsia of the modern world can never pass behind
the veil which divides the seen from the unseen except in the way appointed-
-the Mysteries.
What is life? What is intelligence? What is force? These are the problems to
the solution of which the ancients consecrated their temples of learning.
Who shall say that they did not answer those questions? Who would
recognize the answers if given? Is it possible that under the symbols of
alchemy and astrology lies concealed a wisdom so abstruse that the mind of
this race is not qualified to conceive its principles?
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ancient name for the land of Egypt; and both the words alchemy and
chemistry are a perpetual reminder of the priority of Egypt's scientific
knowledge. According to the fragmentary writings of those early peoples,
alchemy was to them no speculative art. They implicitly believed in the
multiplication of metals; and in the face of their reiterations both the scholar
and the materialist should be more kindly in their consideration of
alchemical theorems. Evolutionists trace the unfoldment of the arts and
sciences up through the growing intelligence of the prehistoric man, while
others, of a transcendental point of view, like to consider them as being
direct revelations from God.
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with his Twelve Princes, ascended by the aforenamed steps to the top of the
Mountain, and found there a Palace marvellously beautiful, having Twelve
Gates, and seventy windows of the purest gold, and it was called the Palace
of the Sun, and there was in it a Temple all of gold, before whose gates were
vine trees bearing bunches of carbuncles and pearls, and Alexander and his
Princes having entered the Palace, found there a Man lying on a golden
bedstead; he was very stately and beautiful in appearance, and his head and
beard were white as snow. Then Alexander and his princes bent the knee to
the Sage who spake thus: 'Alexander, thou shalt now see what no earthly
man hath ever before seen or heard.' To whom Alexander made answer: 'O,
Sage, most happy, how dost thou know me?' He replied: 'Before the wave of
the Deluge covered the face of the earth I knew thy works.' He added:
'Wouldst thou behold the most hallowed Trees of the Sun and Moon, which
announce all future things?' Alexander made answer: 'It is well, my lord;
greatly do we long to see them.' * * *
"Then the Sage said: 'Put away your rings and ornaments, and take off your
shoes, and follow me.' And Alexander did so, and choosing out three from
the Princes, and leaving the rest to await his return, he followed the Sage,
and came to the Trees of the Sun and Moon. The Tree of the Sun has leaves
of red gold, the Tree of the Moon has leaves of silver, and they are very
great, and Alexander, at the suggestion of the Sage questioned the Trees,
asking if he should return in triumph to Macedon? to which the Trees gave
answer, No, but that he should live yet another year and eight months, after
which he should die by a poisoned cup. And when he inquired, Who was he
who should give him that poison? he received no reply, and the Tree of the
Moon said to him, that his Mother, after a most shameful and unhappy
death, should lie long unburied, but that happiness was in store for his
sisters." (See The Book of Enoch, The Second Messenger of God.)
In all probability, the so-called talking trees were merely strips of wood with
tables of letters upon them, by means of which oracles were evoked. At one
time books written upon wood were called "talking trees." The difficulty in
deciding the origin of alchemy is directly due to ignoring the lost continent
of Atlantis. The Great Arcanum was the most prized of the secrets of the
Atlantean priestcraft. When the land of Atlas sank, hierophants of the Fire
Mystery brought the formula to Egypt, where it remained for centuries in the
possession of the sages and philosophers. It gradually moved into Europe,
where its secrets are still preserved intact.
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Redrawn from an original manuscript dated 1577.
In his Key to Alchemy, Samuel Norton divides into fourteen parts the processes or states through which the
alchemical substances pass from the time they are first placed in the test tube until ready as medicine for
plants, minerals, or men:
1. Solution, the act of passing from a gaseous or solid condition, into one of liquidity.
2. Filtration, the mechanical separation of a liquid from the undissolved particles suspended in it.
3. Evaporation, the changing or converting from a liquid or solid state into a vaporous state with the aid of
heat.
4. Distillation, an operation by which a volatile liquid may be separated from substances which it holds in
solution.
7. Calcination, the conversion into a powder or calx by the action of heat; expulsion of the volatile
substance from a matter.
11. Fermentation, the conversion of organic substances into new compounds in the presence of a ferment.
12. Fixation, the act or process of ceasing to be a fluid and becoming firm; state of being fixed.
13. Multiplication, the act or process of multiplying or increasing in number, the state of being multiplied.
14. Projection, the process of turning the base Metals into gold.
Those disagreeing with the legend of Hermes and his Emerald Tablet see in
the two hundred angels who descended upon the mountains, as described by
the Prophet: Enoch, the first instructors in the alchemical art. Regardless of
its originator, it was left to the Egyptian priests to preserve alchemy for the
modern world. Egypt, because of the color of its earth, was called "the black
empire" and is referred to in the Old Testament as "the land of darkness." By
reason of its possible origin there, alchemy has long been known as "the
black art, " not in the sense of evil but in the sense of that darkness which
has always enshrouded its secret processes.
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During the Middle Ages, alchemy was not only a philosophy and a science
but also a religion. Those who rebelled against the religious limitations of
their day concealed their philosophic teachings under the allegory of gold-
making. In this way they preserved their personal liberty and were ridiculed
rather than persecuted. Alchemy is a threefold art, its mystery well
symbolized by a triangle. Its symbol is 3 times 3--three elements or
processes in three worlds or spheres. The 3 times 3 is part of the mystery of
the 33rd degree of Freemasonry, for 33 is 3 times 3, which is 9, the number
of esoteric man and the number of emanations from the root of the Divine
Tree. It is the number of worlds nourished by the four rivers that pour out of
the Divine Mouth as the verbum fiat. Beneath the so-called symbolism of
alchemy is concealed a magnificent concept, for this ridiculed and despised
craft still preserves intact the triple key to the gates of eternal life. Realizing,
therefore, that alchemy is a mystery in three worlds--the divine, the human,
and the elemental--it can easily be appreciated why the sages and
philosophers created and evolved an intricate allegory to conceal their
wisdom.
God is the "within" and the "without" of all things. The Supreme One
manifests Himself through growth, which is an urge from within outward, a
struggle for expression and manifestation. There is no greater miracle in the
growing and multiplication of gold by the alchemist than in a tiny mustard
seed producing a bush many thousands of times the size of the seed. If a
mustard seed produces a hundred thousand times its own size and weight
when planted in an entirely different substance (the earth), why should not
the seed of gold be multiplied a hundred thousand times by art when that
seed is planted in its earth (the base metals) and nourished artificially by the
secret process of alchemy?
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Alchemy teaches that God is in everything; that He is One Universal Spirit,
manifesting through an infinity of forms. God, therefore, is the spiritual seed
planted in the dark earth (the material universe). By arc it is possible so to
grow and expand this seed that the entire universe of substance is tinctured
thereby and becomes like unto the seed--pure gold. In the spiritual nature of
man this is termed regeneration; in the material body of the elements it is
called transmutation. As it is in the spiritual and material universes, so it is
in the intellectual world. Wisdom cannot be imparted to an idiot because the
seed of wisdom is not within him, but wisdom may be imparted to an
ignorant person, however ignorant he may be, because the seed of wisdom
exists in him and can be developed by art and culture. Hence a philosopher
is only an ignorant man within whose nature a projection has taken place.
Through art (the process of learning) the whole mass of base metals (the
mental body of ignorance) was transmuted into pure gold (wisdom), for it
was tinctured with understanding. If, then, through faith and proximity to
God the consciousness of man may be transmuted from base animal desires
(represented by the masses of the planetary metals) into a pure, golden, and
godly consciousness, illumined and redeemed, and the manifesting God
within that one increased from a tiny spark to a great and glorious Being; if
also the base metals of mental ignorance can, through proper endeavor and
training, be transmuted into transcendent genius and wisdom, why is the
process in two worlds or spheres of application not equally true in the third?
If both the spiritual and mental elements of the universe can be multiplied in
their expression, then by the law of analogy the material elements of the
universe can also be multiplied, if the necessary process can be ascertained.
That which is true in the superior is true in the inferior. If alchemy be a great
spiritual fact, then it is also a great material fact. If it can take place in the
universe, it can take place in man; if it can take place in man, it can take
place in the plants and minerals. If one thing in the universe grows, then
everything in the universe grows. If one thing can be multiplied, then all
things can be multiplied, "for the superior agrees with the inferior and the
inferior agrees with the superior." But as the way for the redemption of the
soul is concealed by the Mysteries, so the secrets for the redemption of the
metals are also concealed, that they may not fall into the hands of the
profane and thereby become perverted.
If any would grow metals, he must first learn the secrets of the metals: he
must realize that all metals--like all stones, plants, animals, and universes--
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grow from seeds, and that these seeds are already in the body of Substance
(the womb of the World Virgin); for the seed of man is in the universe
before he is born (or grows), and as the seed of the plant exists for all time
though the plant live but a part of that time, so the seeds of spiritual gold and
material gold are ever present in all things. The metals grow throughout the
ages, because life is imparted to them from the sun. They grow
imperceptibly, in form like tiny shrubs, for everything grows in some way.
Only the methods of growth differ, according to kind and magnitude.
One of the great axioms is, "Within everything is the seed of everything,"
although by the simple processes of Nature it may remain latent for many
centuries, or its growth may be exceedingly slow. Therefore, every grain of
sand contains not only the seed of the precious metals as well as the seed of
the priceless gems, but also the seeds of sun, moon, and stars. As within the
nature of man is reflected the entire universe in miniature, so in each grain of
sand, each drop of water, each tiny particle of cosmic dust, are concealed all
the parts and elements of cosmos in the form of tiny seed germs so minute
that even the most powerful microscope cannot detect them. Trillions of
times smaller than the ion or electron, these seeds--unrecognizable and
incomprehensible--await the time assigned them for growth and expression.
(Consider the monads of Leibnitz.)
There are two methods whereby growth may be accomplished. The first is
by Nature, for Nature is an alchemist forever achieving the apparently
impossible. The second is by art, and through art is produced in a
comparatively short time that which requires Nature almost endless periods
to duplicate. The true philosopher, desiring to accomplish the Magnum
Opus, patterns his conduct according to the laws of Nature, recognizing that
the art of alchemy is merely a method copied from Nature but with the aid
of certain secret formul greatly shortened by being correspondingly
intensified. Nature, in order to achieve her miracles, must work through
either extensiveness; or intensiveness. The extensive processes of Nature are
such as are used in the transmutation of the pitch of black carbon into
diamonds, requiring millions of years of natural hardening. The intensive
process is art, which is ever the faithful servant of Nature (as Dr. A. Dee
says), supplementing her every step and cooperating with her in all her
ways. "So, in this philosophical work, Nature and Art ought so lovingly to
embrace each other, as that Art may not require what Nature denies, nor
Nature deny what may be perfected by Art. For Nature assenting, she
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demeans herself obediently to every artist, whilst by their industry she is
helped, not hindered. " (Dr. A. Dee in his Chemical Collections.)
By means of this art the seed which is within the soul of a stone may be
made to germinate so intensively that in a few moments a diamond is grown
from the seed of itself. If the seed of the diamond were not in the marble,
granite, and sand, a diamond could not be grown therefrom. But as the seed
is within all these things, a diamond may be grown out of any other
substance in the universe. In some substances, however, it is easier to
perform this miracle because in them these germs have already been long
fertilized and are thus more nearly prepared for the vivifying process of the
art. Likewise, to teach some men wisdom is easier than to teach others, for
some already have a foundation upon which to work, while in others the
thinking faculties are entirely dormant. Alchemy, therefore, should be
regarded as the art of increasing and bringing into perfect flower with the
greatest possible expedition. Nature may accomplish her desired end or,
because of the destructiveness exercised by one element over another, she
may not; but with the aid of the true art, Nature always accomplishes her
end, for this art is not subject either to the wastings of time or to the
vandalism of elemental reactions.
"This, therefore, was the general aim of the alchemists--to carry out in the
laboratory, as far as possible, the processes which Nature carried out in the
interior of the earth. Seven leading problems occupied their attention:--
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"4. Palingenesis, or the restoration of a plant from its ashes. Had they
succeeded in this, they would have hoped to be able to raise the dead.
[Professor Brown takes a great deal for granted.]
ALCHEMICAL SYMBOLISM
In alchemy there are three symbolic substances: mercury, sulphur, and salt.
To these was added a fourth mysterious life principle called Azoth.
Concerning the first three, Herr von Welling has written: "There are three
basic chemical substances which are called by the philosophers salt, sulphur,
and mercury, but which are not to be confounded in any way with the crude
salt, sulphur, and mercury taken from the earth or secured from the
apothecary. Salt, sulphur, and mercury each has a triune nature, for each of
these substances contains, in reality, also the other two substances, according
to the secret arcanum of the wise. The body of salt is, therefore, threefold,
namely salt, sulphur, and mercury; but in the body of salt one of the three
(salt) predominates. Mercury is likewise composed of salt, sulphur, and
mercury with the latter element predominating. Sulphur, similarly, is
actually salt, sulphur, and mercury, with sulphur predominating. These nine
divisions--3 times 3, plus Azoth (the mysterious universal life force), equals
10, the sacred decad of Pythagoras. Concerning the nature of Azoth there is
much controversy. Some view it as the invisible, eternal fire; others as
electricity; still others as magnetism. Transcendentalism refer to it as the
astral light.
"The universe is surrounded by the sphere of the stars. Beyond that sphere is
the sphere of Schamayim, which is the Divine fiery water, the first outflow
of the Word of God, the flaming river pouring from the presence of the
Eternal. Schamayim, the fiery androgynous water, divides. The fire becomes
the solar fire and the water becomes the lunar water. Schamayim is the
universal mercury--sometimes called Azoth--the measureless spirit of life.
The spiritual fiery original water--Schamayim--comes through Eden (in
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Hebrew, vapor) and pours itself into four main rivers [the elements]. This is
the river of living water--Azoth [the fiery mercurial essence] that flows out
from the throne of God and the Lamb. In this Eden [vaporous essence or
mist] is the spiritual earth [incomprehensible and intangible], or the dust
Aphar, out of which God formed Adam min Haadamah, the spiritual body of
man, which body must sometime become revealed."
In another part of his writings von Welling also says that there was no
material universe until Lucifer, attempting to perform the cosmic alchemy,
misused the Schamayim, or the Divine Fire. In order to reestablish the
Schamayim which Lucifer had perverted, this universe was formed as a
means of liberating it from the dark cloud within which it was locked by the
failure of Lucifer's attempt to control it. These statements clearly emphasize
the fact that the early philosophers recognized in the Bible a book of
chemical and alchemical formul. It is essential that this point be kept in
mind at all times. Woe to that seeker who accepts as literal the rambling
allegories of the alchemists. Such a one can never enter the inner sanctuary
of truth. Elias Ashmole in his Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum thus
describes the methods employed by the alchemists to conceal their true
doctrines: "Their chiefest study was to wrap up their Secrets in Fables, and
spin out their Fancies in Vailes and shadows, whose Radii seems to extend
every way, yet so, that they meet in a Common Center, and point onely at
One thing."
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symbolism did not standardize either their symbols or their terms. Thus it
required great familiarity with the subject combined with considerable
intuitive power to unravel some of their enigmatical statements. The third
and fourth divisions of the following table are given alternative renderings,
owing to the fact that some authors did not draw a clear line between spirit
and soul. According to the Scriptures, spirit is indestructible, but soul is
destructible. Obviously, then, they are not synonymous. It is clearly stated
that "the soul that sinneth, it shall die," but "the spirit shall return unto God
who gave it." The table of analogies, as nearly as they can be established, is
as follows:
The main point, however, is proved: the alchemical philosophers used the
symbols of salt, sulphur, and mercury to represent not only chemicals but the
spiritual and invisible principles of God, man, and the universe. The three
substances (salt, sulphur, and mercury) existing in four worlds, as shown in
the table, sum up to the sacred number 12. As these 12 are the foundations of
the Great Work, they are called in Revelation the twelve foundation stones
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of the sacred city. In line with the same idea Pythagoras asserted that the
dodecahedron, or twelve-faced symmetrical geometric solid, was the
foundation of the universe. May there not be a relation also between this
mysterious 3 times 4 and the four parties of three which in the legend of the
third degree of Freemasonry go forth to the four angles of the cherubim, the
composite creature of four parts?
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From Valentine's The Last Will and Testament.
Hermetists used the curious symbols shown in this rare table to represent various chemical elements and
alchemical processes. The full meaning of these strange characters has never been revealed, the characters
concealing effectually within their own forms the occult secrets regarding the spiritual nature of the metals
and elements which they represent.
In their allegories the alchemists also wed human, animal, and plant emblems; sometimes weird composite
figures, such as the dragon, the winged serpent, the unicorn, and the phnix. In almost every case they
symbolized gold as a king with a crown on his head and often with a scepter in his hand. Sometimes they
depicted him with the ace of the solar disc surrounded by rays. Silver was personified as a woman who they
called the queen. She wore no crown but often stood upon a lunar crescent: much after the fashion of the
Madonna. Mercury was typified as a youth with wings, often with two heads, carrying serpents or
sometimes the caduceus. Lead they symbolized by an old man with a scythe in his hand; iron by a soldier
dressed in armor. To aqua fortis was given the curious name "the ostrich's stomach," and to the attainment
of the "Great Work" they assigned the symbol of the phnix sitting upon a nest of fire. The union of
elements they symbolized by a marriage, the Process of putrefaction by a skull, antimony by a dragon.
The following table shows the angles to which the parties of three (salt,
sulphur, and mercury) go in search of CHiram:
One more table should prove of interest to Masonic scholars: one showing
the relationship existing between the three substances, salt, sulphur, and
mercury, and certain symbols with which Masons are familiar. This table
also has an alternative rendering, based on the interblending of philosophic
principles, which are difficult--if not impossible--to separate into
chronological order.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The alternative rendering of No. 2 is:
The solution in the alchemical retort, if digested a certain length of time, will
turn into a red elixir, which is called the universal medicine. It resembles a
fiery water and is luminous in the dark. During the process of digestion it
passes through many colors which has given rise to its being called the
peacock because of its iridescence during one of the periods of its digestion.
If the augmentations of its power be carried too far, the test tube containing
the substance will explode and vanish as dust. This commonly occurs and is
the greatest danger involved in the preparation of the medicine for men and
metals. If developed too far, it will also seep through the glass, for there is
no physical container sufficiently strong to hold it, The reason for this is that
it is no longer a substance but a divine essence partaking of the
interpenetrative power of Divinity. When it is properly developed, this
universal solvent in liquid form will dissolve into itself all other metals. In
this high state the universal salt is a liquid fire. This salt dissolved with the
proper amount of any metal and run through the different stages of digestion
and rotations; of augmentations will eventually become a medicine for the
transmuting of inferior metals.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
salt: "But this multiplication cannot be carried on ad infinitum but it attains
completeness in the ninth rotation. For when this tincture has been rotated
nine times it cannot be exalted any further because it will not permit any
further separation. For as soon as it perceives only the smallest degree of
material fire it goes instantly into a flux and passes through the glass like hot
oil through paper."
In classifying the processes through which the chemical elements must pass
before the Hermetic medicine is produced, lack of uniformity in terminology
is evidenced, for in The True Way of Nature seven stages are given, while in
the Dictionnaire Mytho-Hermtique twelve are noted. These twelve are
linked with the signs of the zodiac in a manner worthy of consideration.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
a person but as a material sacred to the sages. Dr. Hartmann writes: "The
'Song of Solomon,' in the Old Testament, is a description of the processes of
Alchemy. In this Song the Subjectum is described in Cant. i., 5; the Lilium
artis in C. ii., 1; the Preparation and Purification in C. ii., 4; the Fire in C.
ii., 7, and C. iv., 16, the Putrefaction in C. iii., 1; Sublimation and
Distillation in C. iii., 6, Coagulation and Change of Colors, C. v., 9 to 14;
Fixation, C. ii., 12, and C. viii., 4; Multiplication, C. vi., 7; Augmentation
and Projection, C. viii., 8, etc., etc."
A tiny particle of the Philosopher's Scone, if cast upon the surface of water,
will, according to an appendix to the work on the universal salt by Herr von
Welling, immediately begin a process of recapitulating in miniature the
history of the universe, for instantly the tincture--like the Spirits of Elohim--
moves upon the face of the waters. A miniature universe is formed which the
philosophers have affirmed actually rises out of the water and floats in the
air, where it passes through all the stages of cosmic unfoldment and finally
disintegrates into dust again. Not only is it possible to prepare a medicine for
metals; it is also possible to prepare a tincture for minerals by means of
which pieces of granite and marble can be turned into precious stones; also
stones of inferior quality may be improved.
As one of the great alchemists fittingly observed, man's quest for gold is
often his undoing, for he mistakes the alchemical processes, believing them
to be purely material. He does not realize that the Philosopher's Gold, the
Philosopher's Stone, and the Philosopher's Medicine exist in each of the four
worlds and that the consummation of the experiment cannot be realized until
it is successfully carried on in four worlds simultaneously according to one
formula. Furthermore, one of the constituents of the alchemical formula
exists only within the nature of man himself, without which his chemicals
will not combine, and though he spend his life and fortune in chemical
experimentation, he will not produce the desired end. The paramount reason
why the material scientist is incapable of duplicating the achievements of the
medival alchemists--although he follow every step carefully and
accurately--is that the subtle element which comes out of the nature of the
illuminated and regenerated alchemical philosopher is missing in his
experimentation.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
inclined to try any of the alchemical prescriptions * * *, not to do so unless
he is an alchemist, because, although I know from personal experience that
these prescriptions are not only allegorically but literally true, and will prove
successful in the hands of an alchemist, they would only cause a waste of
time and money in the hands of one who has not the necessary
qualifications. A person who wants to be an alchemist must have in himself
the 'magnesia', which means, the magnetic power to attract and 'coagulate'
invisible astral elements."
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
All true Philosophers of the natural or Hermetic sciences begin their labors
with a prayer to the Supreme Alchemist of the Universe, beseeching His
assistance in the consummation of the Magnum Opus. The prayer that
follows, written in a provincial German centuries ago by an adept now
unknown, is representative: "O holy and hallowed Trinity, Thou undivided
and triple Unity! Cause me to sink into the abyss of Thy limitless eternal
Fire, for only in that Fire can the mortal nature of man be changed into
humble dust, while the new body of the salt union lies in the light. Oh, melt
me and transmute me in this Thy holy Fire, so that on the day at Thy
command the fiery waters of the Holy Spirit draw me out from the dark dust,
giving me new birth and making me alive with His breath. May I also be
exalted through the humble humility of Thy Son, rising through His
assistance out of the dust and ashes and changing into a pure spiritual body
of rainbow colors like unto the transparent, crystal-like, paradisiacal gold,
that my own nature may be redeemed and purified like the elements before
me in these glasses and bottles. Diffuse me in the waters of life as though I
were in the wine cellar of the eternal Solomon. Here the fire of Thy love will
receive new fuel and will blaze forth so that no streams can extinguish it.
Through the aid of this divine fire, may I in the end be found worthy to be
called into the illumination of the righteous. May I then be sealed up with
the light of the new world that I may also attain unto the immortality and
glory where there shall be no more alternation of light and darkness. Amen."
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
the alchemical organizations were the Rosicrucians, the Illuminati, and
certain Arabian and Syrian sects.
I n the documents which follow, references are made to the "Brethren "or
"Brothers. " These are to signify that those who had actually accomplished
the Magnum Opus were banded together and known to each other by cipher
codes and secret signs or symbols. Apparently a number of these illuminated
adepts dwelt in Arabia, for several of the great European alchemists were
initiated in Asia Minor. When a disciple of the alchemical arts had learned
the supreme secret, he guarded it jealously, revealing to no man his priceless
treasure. He was not permitted to disclose it even to the members of his
immediate family.
As the years passed, one who had discovered the secret--or, more properly,
one to whom it had been revealed--sought for some younger man worthy to
be entrusted with the formul. To this one, and to this one only, as a rule,
the philosopher was permitted to disclose the arcanum. The younger man
then became the "philosophical son" of the old sage, and to him the latter
bequeathed his secrets. Occasionally, however, an adept, on finding a
sincere and earnest seeker, would instruct him in the fundamental principles
of the art, and if the disciple persisted, he was quietly initiated into the
august fraternity of the Brethren. In such manner the alchemical processes
were preserved, but the number of those who knew them did not increase
rapidly.
It is further asserted that they are still to be found by those who have
qualified themselves to contact them. The philosophers taught that like
attracts like, and that when the disciple has developed a virtue and integrity
acceptable to the adepts they will appear to him and reveal those parts of the
secret processes which cannot be discovered without such help. "Wisdom is
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as a flower from which the bee its honey makes and the spider poison, each
according to its own nature." (By an unknown adept.)
The reader must bear in mind at all times that the formul and emblems of
alchemy are to be taken primarily as allegorical symbols; for until their
esoteric significance has been comprehended, their literal interpretation is
valueless. Nearly every alchemical formula has one element purposely
omitted, it being decided by the medival philosophers that those who could
not with their own intelligence discover that missing substance or process
were not qualified to be entrusted with secrets which could give them
control over great masses of humanity and likewise subject to their will the
elemental forces of Nature.
The oldest and most revered of all the alchemical formul is the sacred
Emerald Tablet of Hermes. Authorities do not agree as to the genuineness of
this Table, some declaring it to be a post-Christian fraud, but there is much
evidence that, regardless of its author, the Table is of great antiquity. While
the symbol of the Emerald Table is of special Masonic import--relating as it
does to the personality of CHiram (Hiram)--it is first and fundamentally an
alchemical formula, relating both to the alchemy of the base metals and the
divine alchemy of human regeneration.
"The Emerald Table furnishes the origin of the allegorical history of King
Hiram (rather Chiram). The Chaldeans, Egyptians, and Hebrews in what
concerns Chiram have taken their knowledge from one and the same
fountain; Homerus, who relates this history in a different manner, followed
that original, and Virgil followed
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Homerus, as Hesiodus took the subject for his Theogony likewise from
thence, which Ovidius took afterwards for a pattern for his Metamorphosis.
The knowledge of Nature's secret operations constitutes the principal sense
of all these ancient writings, but ignorance framed out of it that external or
veiled mythology and the lower class of people turned it into idolatry.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
"The Genuine Translation from the Original Very Ancient Chaldee is as
Follows:
"(The second line in large letters, reads: Chiram Telat Machasot, i.e. Chiram
the Universal Agent, One in Essence but three in aspect.)
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
"BY THIS THOU WILT PARTAKE OF THE HONOURS OF THE
WHOLE WORLD. Without doubt as the black, pitchy matter will and must
of necessity become White and Red, and the Red having been carried to
perfection, medicinally and for Metals, is then fully capable to preserve
mentem sanam in corpore sano until the natural period of Life and promise
us ample means, in infinitum multipliable, to be benevolent and charitable
without any diminution of our inexhaustible resources, therefore well may it
be called the Glory [Honours] of the Whole World, as truly the study and
contemplation of the L. P. [Lapis Philosophorum], harmonising with Divine
Truths, elevates the mind to God our Creator and merciful Father, and if He
should permit us to possess it practically must eradicate the very principle of
Avarice, Envy, and Evil Inclinations, and cause our hearts to melt in
gratitude toward Him that has been so kind to us! Therefore the Philosophers
say with great Truth, that the L. P. either finds a good man or makes one.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
unalterable Mercury, Crystals and Glass Fluxes, to which it is able to give
natural hardness and fixity, as Philaletha does attest, and is proved by an
artificial Diamond, in my father's time, in possession of Prince Lichtenstein
in Vienna, valued at Five Hundred Thousand Ducats, fixed by the Lapis
[Philosopher's Stone].
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
formul. With the aid of the material contained in various parts of this
present book the student would do well to set himself the task of solving the
riddle contained in this hieroglyph.
"But it is not the will of God to conceal anything from those that are His,
and therefore in this last age, before the final judgment comes, all these
things shall be manifested to those that are worthy: As He Himself (though
obscurely, lest it should be manifested to, the unworthy) hath spoken in a
certain place: There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hidden
that shall not be known. We therefore being moved by the Spirit of God, do
declare the will of God to the world, which we have also already performed
and published in several languages. But most men either revile, or contemne
that, our Manifesto, (the Fama and Confessio Fraternitatis) or else waiving
the Spirit of God, they expect the proposals thereof from us, supposing we
will straightway teach them how to make gold by Art, or furnish them with
ample treasures, whereby they may live pompously in the face of the world,
swagger, and make wars, turn usurers, gluttons, and drunkards, live
unchastely, and defile their whole life With several other sins, all which
things are contrary to the blessed will of God. These men should have learnt
from those Ten Virgins (whereof five that were foolish demanded oil for
their lamps, from those five that were wise) how that the case is much
otherwise.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
"It is expedient that every man should labor for this treasure by the
assistance of God, and his own particular search and industry. But the
perverse intentions of these fellows we understand out of their own writings,
by the singular grace and revelation of God. We do stop our ears, and wrap
ourselves as it were in clouds, to avoid the bellowings and howlings of those
men, who in vain cry out for gold. And hence indeed it comes to pass that
they brand us with infinite calumnies and slanders, which notwithstanding
we do not resent but God in His good time will judge them for it. But after
that we had well known (though unknown to you) and perceived also by
your writing how diligently you are to peruse the Holy Scripture, and seek
the true knowledge of God: we have also above many thousands, thought
you worthy of some answer, and we signify this much to you by the will of
God and the admonition of the Holy Ghost.
"To this mountain you shall go in a certain night (when it: comes) most long
and most dark, and see that you prepare yourselves by prayer. Insist upon the
way that: leads to the mountain, but ask not of any man where the way lies:
only follow your Guide, who will offer himself to you, and will meet you in
the way but you shall not know him. This Guide will bring you to the
mountain at midnight, when all things are silent and dark. It is necessary that
you arm yourselves with a resolute heroic courage, lest you fear those things
that will happen, and so fall back. You need no sword, nor any other bodily
weapons, only call upon God sincerely and heartily.
"When you have discovered the mountain, the first miracle that will appear
is this. A most vehement and very great wind, that will shake the mountain
and shatter the rocks to pieces. You shall be encountered also by lions and
dragons and other terrible beasts, but fear not any of these things. Be
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
resolute and rake heed that you return not, for your Guide who brought you
thither will not suffer any evil to befall you. As for the treasure, it is not yet
discovered but it is very near. After this wind will come an earthquake, that
will overthrow those things which the wind hath left and make all flat. But
be sure that you fall not off.
"The earthquake being past, there shall follow afire, that will consume the
earthly rubbish, and discover the treasure, but as yet you cannot see it. After
all these things and near the daybreak there shall be a great calm, and you
shall see the Day-Star arise and the dawning will appear, and you shall
perceive a great treasure. The chiefest thing in it, and the most perfect, is a
certain exalted tincture, with which the world (if it served God and were
worthy of such gifts) might be tinged and turned into most pure gold.
"This tincture being used, as your Guide shall reach you, will make you
young when you are old, and you shall perceive no disease in any part of
your bodies. By means of this tincture also you shall find pearls of that
excellency which cannot be imagined. But do not you arrogate anything to
yourselves because of your present power, but be contented with that which
your Guide shall communicate to you. Praise God perpetually for this His
gift, and have a special care that you use it not for worldly pride, but employ
it in such works which are contrary to the world. Use it rightly and enjoy it
so, as if you had it not. Live a temperate life, and beware of all sin,
otherwise your Guide will forsake you, and you shall be deprived of this
happiness. For know this of a truth, whosoever abuseth this tincture and
lives not exemplarly, purely, and devoutly before men he shall lose this
benefit, and scarce any hope will there be left ever to recover it afterwards."
If, as transcendentalists believe, the initiations into the Fraternity of the Rose
Cross were given in the invisible worlds which surround and interpenetrate
the visible universe, it is not beyond the range of possibility that this
allegory is to be considered in the light of an initiatory ritual as well as an
alchemical formula.
As has been noted, it is difficult to secure a complete formula for any of the
alchemical operations. The one presented here is the most nearly complete
of any available. The collecting of the rays and energies of the celestial
bodies as precipitated in dew is a process which Paracelsus used with great
success. Bear constantly in mind that these processes are only for those who
have been properly instructed in the secret art.
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"A TRUE REVELATION OF THE MANUAL OPERATION FOR THE
UNIVERSAL MEDICINE COMMONLY CALLED 'THE PHILOSOPHER'S
STONE.' By the celebrated philosopher of Leyden, as attested upon his
deathbed with his own Blood, Anno Domini 1662. To my Loving Cousin
and Son, the True Hermetic Philosopher--
"Although I had resolved never to give in writing to any person the secret of
the Ancient Sages, yet notwithstanding out of peculiar affection and love to
you, I have taken it upon me, to which the nearness of our relation obliges
me, and especially because this temporal life is short, and Art is very dark
and you may therefore not attain the wished for end;--but my Son because so
precious a jewel belongs not to swine; and also this so great a gift of God
may be treated carefully and Christianlike, in consideration thereof I do so
largely declare myself to thee.
"1st. That most especially thou faithfully keep the same from all wicked,
lustful and criminal persons.
"3dly. That thou seek to advance the honor of thy Creator of all things and
the good of thy neighbor, preserve it sacredly that thy Lord may not have
cause to complain of thee at the last day. I have written here in this treatise
such a part of the Kingdom of Heaven, just as I myself have worked this
treasure and finished it with my fingers, therefore I have subscribed all this
work with my blood, lying on my deathbed in Leyden.
"THE PROCESS--In the Name of God, take of the purest and cleanest salt,
sea salt, so as it is made by the sun itself, such as is brought by shipping
from Spain, (I used salt that came from St. Uber) let it be dried in a warm
stove, grind it in a stone mortar, as fine as possible to a powder that it may
be so much the easier dissolve and taken up by our Dew-water, which is thus
to be had in the months of May or June: When the Moon is at the full,
observe when the dew falls with an East or South East wind. Then you must
have sticks about one and a half feet high above the ground when driven in
the Earth. Upon two or three such sticks, lay some four square plates of
glass, and as the dew falls it easily fastens on the glass like a vapour, then
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
have glass Vessels in readiness, let the dew drain from the sides of the
glasses into your vessels. Do this until you have enough. The full of the
Moon is a good season, afterwards it will be hard."
The solar rays descending from the sun carry with them solar sulphur--the
Divine Fire. These rays are crystallized by contact with
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
"This is that emblematical magical type, which Thalia delivered to me in the invisible Guiana. The first and
superior Part of it represents the Mountains of the Moon. The philosophers commonly call them the
Mountains of India, on whose tops grows their secret and famous Lunaria. It is an Herb easy to be found,
but [for the fact] that men are blind discovers itself and shines after night like pearl. The earth of these
mountains is very red and soft beyond all expression. It is full of crystalline rocks, which the philosophers
call their glass and their stone: birds and fish (say they) bring it to them. Of these mountains speaks Hali
the Arabian, a most excellent judicious author: 'Go, my son, to the Mountains of India, and to their
quarries or caverns, and take thence our precious stones which dissolve or melt in water, when they are
mingled therewith. Much indeed might be spoken of these mountains, if it were lawful to publish their
mysteries, but one thing I shall not forbear to tell you. They are very dangerous places after night, for they
are haunted with fires and other strange apparitions, (as a I am told by the Magi) by certain spirits, which
dabble lasciviously with the sperm of the world and imprint their imaginations in, producing many times
fantastic and monstrous generations. The access and pilgrimage to this place, with the difficulties which
attend them, are faithfully and magisterially described by the Brothers of R.C." (Set accompanying letter.)
the lunar rays. The solar rays are also met by the emanations pouring upward
from the earth's surface and are thus still further crystallized into a partly
tangible substance, which is soluble in pure water. This substance is the
"Magical Mountain of the Moon" referred to in the R. C. letter. The
crystallization of the solar and lunar rays in water (dew) produces the virgin
earth--a pure, invisible substance, uncontaminated by material matter. When
the virgin earth crystals are wet, they appear green; when dry, white.
Von Welling makes a suggestion for the extraction of the solar life from
stagnant water, but is reticent both as to naming the essence extracted and
also as to the various processes through which it must pass to be refined and
increased in power. His hint, however, is both valuable and unusual:
"Take sweet clean water and seal it in a large bottle, leaving about one-
fourth empty. Place the bottle in the sun for some weeks until it rots,
showing a precipitation in the bottom. This precipitation, when properly
manipulated by distillation, will produce a clear, fiery, burning oil, the
constituents and use of which are only known to the wise."
The philosopher of Leyden continues: "Now when you have enough of your
dew close your glasses exactly, and keep it till you use it, that none of its
spirits may evaporate, which may easily happen. Set it therefore in a cool
place, that no warmth may come to it, or else the subtle spirit will rise and be
gone; which will not so happen if after you have filled your glasses with
Dew quite full, you close them very well with wax.
"Now in the Name of God, take of this Dew-water as much as thou wilt, put
in a clean dissolving glass, then cast a little of your forementioned powdered
salt into it to be dissolved, and continue to put it in till your Dew-water will
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
dissolve no more or till the salt lies in it four days without being dissolved,
then it has enough, and unto your Dew is given its proper powder. Of this
compounded water, take as much as thou wilt, I took about a pound and a
half, and put it into a round vial with a short neck, fill it with out water and
lute it with a good lute, a cover and stopple that fits it well, that the subtle
and living spirit of the dew may not fume away, for if they should the soul of
the salt will never be stirred up, nor the work ever brought to a right end. Let
the lute dry very well of itself, and set it in the furnace of B. M. to putrefy.
Make a slow fire and let it digest for forty days or fifty, and that the fume of
the water be continually round about it, and you will see your matter grow
black, which is a token of its putrefaction.
"As soon as you have taken it out, have your dry furnace ready. Set your
glass with the matter into an inner globe to coagulate, give it a slow degree
of fire, continue it equally for twelve or fifteen days, and your matter will
begin to coagulate and to fasten round about your glass like a gray salt,
which as soon as you see and before it be two days, slacken the fire that it
may cool leisurely. Then have in readiness your putrefying furnace as
before. Set your glass therein and give the same degree of fire as before. Let
it stand twelve days, and again you will see the matter resolve and open as
before, and open itself, but you must every time see that the lute and your
glass is not hurt. When you set your glass in the putrefying furnace, take
care that the neck of your glass is covered with a wooden or glass stopper
that fits it exactly, that the moisture of the water may not come at it.
"When you see it black set your glass as before to coagulate and when it
begins to be of a grayish color and whitish, set it in a third time to putrefy,
and coagulate to the fifth time, until you see that your water in its dissolution
is clean, pellucid and clear, and that it appears in its Calcination of a fine
white like Snow. Then it is prepared and becomes a Salt fixed which will
melt on hot Silver plate like wax; but before you set this your Salt out, set it
again [in] the furnace of putrefaction that it may dissolve of itself, then let it
cool, open your Glass and you will find your Matter lessened a third part.
But instead of your former Salt Water you will have a fine Sweet and very
penetrating Water which the Philosophers have hid under very wonderful
Names--It is the Mercury of all true Philosophers, the Water out of which
comes Gold and Silver, for they say its Father is Gold and its Mother is
Silver. Thus hast thou the strength of both these Luminaries conjoined in this
Water, most true, in its right Pondus.
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"Prescription. 5 Drops of this Water taken inwardly strengthens the
understanding and memory, and opens to us most wonderful and sweet
things, of which no man hath heard, and of which I dare not further write,
because of the Oath I made God to the contrary. Time and the holy use of
this blessed Water will teach us, as soon as you have taken it inwardly such
influence will happen to thee as if the whole heavens and all the stars with
their powers are working in thee. All Knowledge and secret Arts will be
opened to thee as in a dream, but the most excellent of all is, you will
perfectly learn rightly to know all creatures in their Nature, and by means
thereof, the true understanding of God, the Creator of us, Heaven and Earth,
like David and Moses and all the Saints of God, for the wisdom of our
fountain of living Water will instruct thee as it did Solomon and the Brethren
of our fraternity."
In his rare treatise on Salt, Sulphur and Mercury, von Welling discloses a
secret: not generally revealed in alchemical writings, namely, that the
alchemists were concerned not only with the transmutation of metals but had
a complete cosmological and philosophical system based upon the
Qabbalah.
According to von Welling, the universal salt (in watery form) is a positive
cure for all the physical ailments of mankind; it is in every living thing, but
from some things it is more easily secured than from others: especially is
this true of virgin earth; it is the universal solvent, the alkahest. The same
writer also states that in the first stages of its preparation this salt will cure
any and all diseases of the heart. The anonymous philosopher of Leyden
continues:
"Would you now proceed further with our blessed Water to the
forementioned intention of preparing a Tincture for Metals, hearken my Son-
-
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therein four days without dissolving, then it has received its due Pondus.
Then put this dissolution as before into a round Glass, fill it two thirds parts
full, seal it hermetically as before, let your Sigillum be well dried. Set it in
the furnace of Balneum Vapori, make a fire and let it remain forty days, as
before, then will the Gold or Silver be dissolved radically and will turn of
the deepest black in the world, which as soon as you see, have your other
drying furnace in readiness."
"With this Powder--You may as follows project on metals. Take five parts of
fine Gold or Silver according as you work, and melt it in a Crucible. Wrap
up your Medicine in Wax, cast it therein, give a strong fire for an hour, then
take the Crucible out, as it were, calcined, then cast one part on ten parts of
imperfect metals, be it what it will, and the same will be immediately
changed into purer Metal, than what is brought out of the Mines and
produced by Melting; and when you augment it in strength and virtue by
resolving and coagulating, the fifth time it will resolve itself in three days
and be coagulated in twenty-four hours time, to an incredible and most
highly pellucid Stone or Red Shining burning Coal. For the white work it
will become like a white stream of Lightning.
"Of this last coagulation take one part, cast it upon five thousand of melted
Gold or Silver as before. It changes the same into perfect Medicine, one part
whereof will tinge one hundred thousand parts of melted imperfect Metals
into the very finest Gold or Silver. So far I have brought and further I would
not come, for as I would set in the matter [to distill] six times in twelve
hours, it subtilized so highly that the most part (like somewhat most
wonderful to behold) past through the Glass causing an inexpressible
odoriferous Smell. Take heed that it happens not to you.
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"Many more wonders of this holy Art might be added, namely how to
prepare therewith all sorts of precious Stones, and other most admirable
things, but it would require too great a book to express the whole as it ought
to be, especially as the Art is endless and not to be apprehended with one
view, and my purpose has been, Loving Cousin and Son, devoutly to lead
thee into the Mysteries of Nature and this holy Science, and I have faithfully
performed it."
In conclusion, the letter states: "Go thou to work as I have done before thee,
fear God, Love thy neighbour from the bottom of thy Soul sincerely. So will
in the Manual operation, everything to thee, and when thou art at work
therein many of our brethren will reveal themselves to thee, of our holy
order, privately; For I have on my part by the Eternal God wrote the truth
which I found out by prayer and searching into Nature, which work I have
seen with my eyes, and with my hands extracted. Therefore also I have
subscribed this Testament with my own blood, the last day of my Life on my
deathbed. Actum Leyden, 27 March 1662."
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In addition to the 26 leaves here reproduced there are ten bottles or retorts,
each half filled with varicolored substances. These bottles can be so easily
described that it is unnecessary to reproduce them. The first bottle (from the
mouth of which issues a golden shrub with three blossoms) contains a
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bluish-gray liquid, the entire figure being called "Our Quicksilver." Under
the vessel is a verse containing the significant words: "He will have white
garments for black and then red." The second bottle (from the neck of which
rise four golden flowers) also contains the bluish-gray substance termed
quicksilver. Below the bottle is the admonition to "make spirit of the body
and grace of the gross, that the corporeal may become incorporeal."
The third bottle is entirely black save for a golden tree trunk having six
lopped-off branches and terminating in five branches which end in knobs
and protrude from the neck of the bottle. The state of the substance is termed
"Blackness showing through the Head of the Raven." Under the bottle
occurs the statement that "the tincture of the Philosophers is hidden in the air
like the soul in the human body." The fourth bottle is of the deepest
blackness and is called "The Head of the Raven." Nothing rises from the
neck of the vessel, for the earth (its contents) is described as "submerged in
Chaos." The bottom of the fifth bottle contains a bluish-gray, spotted liquid,
the upper part being filled with a brick-colored substance. Above are the
words: "Sixth Raven's Head"; below is added: "At the bottom of the vessel
worms are born."
The lower half of the sixth bottle is of a bluish-gray, the u per half black, the
entire figure being termed "Seventh Raven's Head." A child is seated beside
the bottle, concerning whom it is written: "This newly-born, black son is
called Elixir and will be made perfectly white." The seventh bottle is black
below and black spotted with red above. The process is thus described:
"Black blacker than black, for many divers colors will appear. Those black
clouds will [descend] to the body whence they came, and the junction of
body, soul, and spirit has been completed and turned to ashes."
The eighth bottle is divided horizontally by a golden band, from which rises
a golden stem ending in five leaves protruding from the neck of the bottle.
The contents of the vessel are transparent, and it is written that "the black
clouds are past and the great whiteness has been completed." The ninth
bottle (from the neck of which rises a golden white rose) is also partly filled
with a transparent liquid. The rose is made to say: "He who blanches me
makes me red." The tenth and last bottle represents the consummation of the
Great Work. The lower half of the vessel is filled with the blood-red Elixir
and from the neck rises a red rose with many petals and of extreme beauty.
After declaring all the planets to have been present at the consummation of
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the Great Work, the author of the document concludes: "I gave to the Master
[spirit] so much silver and gold that be can never be poor."
In his dedication the author and illustrator of the manuscript declares that he
has set forth all the operations of the Great Work. He prays to the Holy
Spirit that he may be included in the number of those who have pursued this
most noble of the sciences and that he may be set always in the path of
righteousness. Exclusive of his own researches, the main sources of his
information are said to be the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, Raymond
Lully, and Arnold of Villa Nova.
The publication of this manuscript places at the student's disposal the most
profound secrets of the Hermetic Art. At first the task of decipherment may
seem hopeless and the superficially-minded will be tempted to scoff at the
possibility of real knowledge being perpetuated in such unconventional
fashion. The scoffer will not realize that one of the purposes of the document
is to awaken ridicule and thus preserve more effectually its arcana from the
profane. A few sheets (such as those here reproduced) represent the life
work of one who has consecrated himself to the task of tearing aside the veil
of the World Virgin. Years of research and experimentation, days of
incessant labor, nights of prayer and meditation, and at last comes the
realization of accomplishment! This is the real story told by the grotesque
figures drawn so painstakingly upon the faded, worm-eaten pages. Those
who have glimpsed the greater realities of being realize that the fundamental
verities of life find at best only imperfect expression through physical
symbols. Only those who have passed through the travail of spiritual birth
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
can adequately comprehend and properly reverence the pathetic efforts to
portray for others that knowledge necessarily locked within the heart of the
one who knows.
Leaf 1. The top line reads: "Our earliest medicine was made of natural
objects." About the king and queen appears the statement that to them a son
shall be born "in two trees of the vine," resembling his father and without
equal in all the world. About the vase is written: "Green and white." "The
vase flame color, the flowers green." "Our water, our silver." The lines
below read: "The material of the Philosopher's Stone is that thick, viscous
water, which either heat or cold congeals. It is Mercury boiled down and
thickened, cooked in neutral earth with sulphurous heat and is called the
Prime Material of the metals. In caverns yet dark, and forbidding mountains,
if a Stone be found which a thousand years ago Nature made out of her
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fruits, it will bring him that has it out of trouble. * * * Listen carefully to all
my verses; I speak them without veil and without deception.
Leaf 2. At the top is a quotation from St. Thomas Aquinas concerning the
composition of the Philosopher's Stone, which is described as of the purest
transparency; in it all the forms of the elements and their contrarieties were
visible. Beneath the figure of St. Thomas Aquinas is a short paragraph
praising the excellence of the Philosophic Stone, declaring that from the one
substance can be derived three and from the three, two. To the right of St.
Thomas Aquinas is a likeness of Raymond Lully seated in the door of his
hermitage. Under his feet appears a quotation from this celebrated alchemist,
beginning with the question, "What is the Philosopher's Stone?" After
declaring it to be a reddish, fixed mercury, Lully swears to the Almighty that
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
he has told the truth and that it is not permissible to say more. (The original
manuscript is mutilated at this point.)
Leaf 3. The writing at the top of the page reads: "Death of Saturn; life of
Mercury." After describing the use of the saturnine substances, the key to the
process is declared to be depicted below. The verse reads "This [the stone] is
made of four elements. This is the truth in all Nature. Take it in hand, bright
and shining, with all diligence and great care and then try to bind all securely
together side by side, so the fire may cause alarm." Above the human figure
is written: "Saturn is almost dead." To the right if the devouring serpent is a
statement of Albertus Magnus that Saturn and Mercury are the first
principles of the Stone. It also declares that Nature wisely provided a
mixture of elements so that earth can communicate its dryness to fire, fire its
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
heat to air, air its moisture to water, and water its coldness to earth. (Text
about the vase is illegible in original.)
Leaf 4. At the top: "Let them believe that . everything is possible. The art is
fleeting, bright and rare, and not believed by the foolish." The words
between the sun and crescent read "It is hidden," and on the panel across the
body "The Book of life and true Treasury of the World." The panel to the
left of the figure says "Moving almost all, and the soul of its body returns to
the place from which it had fled, and ripens seven months or nine, and the
King crowned with his diadem appears." The right panel states: "There are
three Mercuries: animal, vegetable, and mineral." The text below is of such a
cryptic nature that to translate it is well nigh impossible. It declares that by
putting fire beneath the feet of the symbolic figure it is possible to extract
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
therefrom the sun and the moon which the human body is shown elevating to
a position of dignity above its head.
Leaf 5. In the upper panel it is declared that the sun-bird battles with the
earth-serpent, who, tearing out his own entrails, gives them to the bird. The
spirit is vivified and Lazarus with joy is raised from the dead. Above the bird
is written: "This is the sun in the form of a bird," and above the dragon "This
is the dragon devouring the bird. The first operation." The panel of text at
the lower left reads in substance: "When our sperm (quicksilver) is mixed
with the mother of elements (earth), the action is called coitus. The detention
by the earth of a bit of quicksilver is called conception. The earth grows and
multiplies and the operation is called impregnation. When earth is whitened
with water and made of uniform color and appearance, it is called birth and
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
the King is born out of fire." The text at lower right was deliberately
mutilated to conceal a too evident secret.
Leaf 6. This plate shows all the secrets of the great Stone. In the center
stands the Paschal Virgin, in her hair the prime virtue which is described as
an herb flourishing in wells. The hands hold the symbols of the spiritual and
material elements. The statement at the upper left is to the effect that there
are four spirits with two faces, which are called the elements. At the upper
right it is written that fire lives on air, air on water, water on earth, and thus
the Stone lives Peacefully on all the pure elements. Under the sun appears
the word Summer; under the moon, Autumn. About the tree on the left with
its attendant eyes are the words: "Turn away your eyes to [from?] the fire.
There is space [?]." About the tree to the right. "Open your eyes to the fire.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
There is time." The lower panel opens with this sentence "I am exalted
above the circles of world."
Leaf 7. The verse at the top reads:," This Stone is so noble and worthy that
Nature has hidden it in her recesses. Its soul is all fair, and pure, for it is the
true sun. I inform you of this. Keep it removed, apart and separated.
Whatever boon you crave, it will come to you bounteously. without sin, with
pleasure and delight." The seated figure on the left holding aloft the hammer
is described as breaking hard stone, while the words beside the man with the
retort read: "Breaking of stone our replenishment." Between the standing
figures below is the exclamation; "O Sages, seek and ye shall find my
Stone!" Under the outstretched hand of the man with a basket appear the
words: "Draw out sorerem [?] in the bottom." Below the pool which the man
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
on the left is stirring appears the simple statement: "Our healing water." The
faces of the four men are extremely well drawn.
Leaf 8. Under the sun, moon, and Mercury are the words Three and One, an
inference that the three are one. The words under the flower stems read:
"Whiteness forty days after ashes." Under the blossoms is written: (left)
"Minor time of the Stone"; (right) "The selected red." Between the arms of
the central figure appears: "Let one pound of Mercury be placed." To the left
is written: "If you who read shall have known this figure, you will possess
the whole science of the Stone"; to the right: "And if you do not
acknowledge it, you will be stiff-necked and dull." Above the sun is the
word Father; above the satyr, "Ferment of the work." Beside the child is the
sentence: "The son of the moon would threw the Stone into the fire--his
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mother." Above the flaming basket is written: "I am the true Stone." Under
the central figure are the words: "A moderate fire is the master of the work."
Leaf 9. In the upper left it is written that without the light of the Moon the
Sun does not heat the earth and that into the Moon the Sun emits its fruits. In
the upper right the true herb of the philosophers is described, and it is
declared that whoever believes in and it shall be [spiritually] rich. The panel
concludes thus: "Understand thoroughly what it is that the man has in either
hand if you wish to be enlightened." The text to the left above the sun reads:
"Entirely without the Sun and Moon, make dye; dissolve, congeal, and like
produces for itself like." The words to the right of the man holding the
Philosopher's herb declare sublimation to be the beginning, the middle and
the end of the Great Work. The last sentence reads: "Out of the Sun and
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Moon make a thing of equal parts, and by their union, God willing, let the
Philosopher's Stone be made."
Leaf 10. The two short lines of text at upper left read: "Some take a recent
stone." The lines to the right of the symbol of Mars (iron) admonish the
student to control his appetites and apply his mind to the accumulation of
knowledge. No satisfactory translation can be found for the words under the
outstretched arm of the man holding the upper part of the tree. The lower
panel reads thus: "After the Stone has been well refined it will appear to
penetrate thoroughly. It should be put into its vessel with its water. Close it
well with a little fire, and await the wonders of Nature." The large red oval
filling the lower half of the leaf is evidently the egg or vessel of the Sages.
The tree is a symbol of the growth of the sacred metals, for the alchemists
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affirmed that the metals are like plants and grow in the rocks, spreading their
branches (veins) through the interstices.
Leaf 11. The fount is described as that from which the two Mercuries of the
Philosophers are extracted. At the upper left is described the white Mercury
and at the right the red Mercury. The text about the fountain declares that
Saturn collects the white Mercury, which is called the Water of Earth; and
the Earth collects the red Mercury, which is called the Water of Heaven. The
text to the left of the frog reads: "Through Him who created the Heavens and
the Earth I am the Philosopher's Stone, and in my body I carry something the
wise seek. If such a charm be extracted from me, it will be a sweet
refreshment for you. I am an animal having father and mother, and father
and mother were created; and in my body are contained the four elements,
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and I am before father and mother and I am a poisonous animal." The lines
at the right describe distilling and calcining processes.
Leaf 12. The three words at the top read: "This is Nature." The lines above
the donkey read: "This is the Philosophers' donkey who wished to rise to the
practice of the Philosopher's Some." The three lines below the animal are
translated: "Frogs gather in multitudes but science consists of clear water
made from the Sun and Moon." The text under the symbolic bird is as
follows: "This is fortune with two wings. Whosoever has it knows that fruit
will in such away be produced. A great philosopher has shown that the stone
is a certain white sun, to see which needs a telescope. To dissolve it in water
requires the Sun and Moon, and here one must open 200 telescopes, putting
body and soul in one mass. And here is lost the mass; other sages cook the
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frogs and add nothing, if the juice of the Wise you wish to enjoy." To the
Greeks the frog symbolized both metempsychosis and earthly humidity.
Leaf 13. This Page contains but two figures. At the left stands Morienus, the
philosopher, pointing towards the salamander who "lives and grows in fire."
Morienus, who was born in the twelfth century, became the disciple of the
great Arabian alchemist Adfar, from whom he learned the Hermetic arts.
Morienus prepared the Philosophical Elixir for the Sultan of Egypt,
inscribing upon the vase in which he placed the precious substance the
words: "He who possesses all has no need of others." He spent many years
as a hermit near Jerusalem. The lines below the salamander are: "Let the fire
be of a perfect red color; the earth white, the water clear. Then compound
them by philosophical means and calcine them as many times with the water
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which the body had as to turn it white by its kindness. Having done this, you
will have the greatest treasure in the world."
Leaf 14. The three words at the top of the left page are translated: "The man
that digs." Above the birds it is declared that none but the cocks of Hermes,
the two Mercuries, shall put hand to the plow, and only after irrigation will
the earth bring forth her fruits. The seated man is Count Bernard of Treviso,
who says: "Work the earth with Mercury." (See chapter on Alchemy and Its
Exponents.) The three sentences to the Count's left read: "Go to the fire and
with Mercury, thy brother, await me for a month. Crumble the stone I gave
thee and I shall go to the fire. Thy death, my life. I shall net die but, living,
tell of the works of this, my master." Bernard of Treviso in his alchemical
speculation emphasized the necessity of meditation upon the philosophical
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writings of the great adepts rather than chemical experimentation. He
ultimately discovered the "Stone."
Leaf 15. The first sentence reads: "The fruit of plants by virtue of the Sun,
our Stone." The boy holding the dish is made to say: "Drink here all ye that
are athirst. Come unto me, run to the waters. Here drink, without price, and
drink your fill. Open your eyes and see the wonders of the earth. They learn,
my thirsty twenty and four." Beneath the boy are the words: "In the
beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth, and divided the waters
from the waters. Bless the waters which are above the Heavens." The circle
contains this statement: "The earth without form and void. Out of the stars
come the rains." The lower left panel continues the alchemical process,
ending with admonition to renounce the misery of worldly existence. Above
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is a prayer to the Virgin Mary which opens thus: "Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord be with thee. Blessed thou among women."
Leaf 16. The first sentence reads: "The dead bodies remain; the spirits are
freed by the death in the bodies. You will ride with that death with a scythe,
and the light of the Sun, the Moon, and the fixed stars." Over the scythe is
written: "Subject to the Sun, the Moon and Azoth, complete the Work." The
four words in the curve of the scythe blade say: "Man's head, head of raven."
The three lines to the right are interpreted thus: "This figure is called Laton,
for it looks black in a vessel, and is the beginning of corruption." The text
below the ladder states: "This is the ladder of primitive matter which when
placed in a vessel turns black, the gradually changes to white by the scale
[ladder] of digestion, according to the degree of heat." Here a ladder is used
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to signify the natural steps up which matter must ascend before it can attain
to a truly spiritual state.
Leaf 17. The verse at the top of the page reads: "Not only must this material
be fixed, but it must be allowed to enter into everything so that this material
may be well completed and have infinite virtue. Then by making it thick, it
becomes at once all white, sublimation from white it becomes shining."
Above the sun are the words: "God and Nature do nothing in vain." The man
on the left is a medival conception of Hermes, the great Egyptian
philosopher; the one on the right is Christopher, the philosopher of Paris.
Above the latter is written: "If the Stone is black, it is not useless." The
words over the retort are: "There is air, fire, water, and earth." Below is
added: "A dissolution of the body is the first step. " The curious chemical
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apparatus must be considered purely symbolic in this work and, as its author
himself says, is intended to give only a hint of the "Art."
Leaf 18. At the left holding a book stands Aristotle, who is described as the
most learned of all the Greeks. The tree surmounted by the Sun and Mon. is
accompanied by the wards: "When the Stone is dead, that is changed to
water, in this it will produce flowers." Beneath Aristotle and the prostrate
human figure from which rises the flowering tree are these statements: "He
who makes everything descend from heaven to earth, and then ascend from
earth to heaven, has information about the Stone. For in Mercury there is
something the wise seek, not invoked except by white or red ferment." The
first part of this quotation is based upon the Emerald Tablet of Hermes
(which see). In ordinary man, the spirit is figuratively absorbed by the body;
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but in the true philosopher, the spirit is so greatly increased in power that it
absorbs into itself and is nourished by man's corporeal body.
Leaf 19. At the top it reads: "He that comes to know this figure will have
knowledge of the Stone." The seated man probably represents Paracelsus. To
his right are the words: "I am neither tree nor animal, nor stone nor
vegetable, but the Philosopher's Stone, trampled on by men, cast into the fire
by my father, and in fire I rejoice." The four words to the left say "In dryness
is the Stone." Below the man is the Philosophic Egg containing the words:
"It is the end in which the beginning rests." The capital T stands for
"Tincture." The text to the right states: "In Stone it is formed, as Gerber
writes in his book very learnedly, and possessing so much of its nature that it
changes into clear, living water; and it has the power to make folks rich,
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satisfied, and free from all cares, so they will be always happy if they attain
by their wit to the secret."
Leaf 20. At the top is written: "Rains are made by six stars." Under the
inverted man it reads: "Receive new spirit. Arise, for you are asleep." The
two sentences about the large figure read: "Remember Mercury, for ashes
thou art and unto ashes thou shalt return. I thirst and am dead." Above the
seven globes at the left is the admonition: "If he thirst, give him a drink and
he shall live." Over the small man is written: "Hermes, the father of
philosophers." The curved line of writing to which Hermes points says: "The
measure of the drink." Under the central pedestal appears: "The light of my
eyes is a lantern to my feet." Below is added: "If the beginning is unknown,
the rest is unknown." Above the figure rising from the flames on the right is
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the statement: "He was resurrected after new Moon," and under the eagle:
"Thou shalt not fly further with me."
Leaf 21. The upper line reads: "Two things and double, but finally one is
dissolved into the first and they make sperm." The four capitals. I A A T, are
the initial letters of the names of the elements: Ignis, Aer, Aqua, and Terra.
The writing under them reads: "Our fire is water; if you can give fire to fire,
fire and Mercury will suffice." Along the arm appear the words: "The Art of
the Stone is," and on the ribbon: "Swift, brief, bright, and rare." The two
lines under the ribbon read: "Every hand is a key, because it was called the
herb celandine"; under the Sun: "I am the gift of God " The verse reads: "So
that you remain contented in all matters, I must listen attentively. My body
[is] naked, clean, and shining, and I run like oil ready to drop, resplendent
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like bright gold, and then succumb to the plague in its bright and cheerful
little chamber [retort]."
Leaf 22. The verse in the upper left is as follows: "This group is composed
of three stones: lunar, solar, and mercurial. In the lunar is white sulphur; in
the solar, red sulphur, in the mercurial, both; i.e. white and red, and this is
the strength of all instruction." In the bottle at the left are the words:
"Dissolving, calcination, sublimation complete the instruction"; and at the
base: "Wash, congeal, and coagulate. " Under the central tower is written:
"Metallic salts, however, are hidden by one letter"; around the bottom of the
red circle: "Dryness, coldness, humidity, heat, and dryness." On the points
below are the names of the four elements. The initial, I A A T appear four
times with the same meaning as that already given. The three powers of the
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Philosopher's Stone are symbolized by the heads of the cherubs in the circle
in the upper left corner.
Leaf 23. The writing at the upper left is, in substance, the Lord's Prayer, with
the addition of the words Jesus and Mary at the end. The inverted words in
the banner read: "Ye can do nothing without me, for God has so promised,
saying 'So be it.'" The text under the angel reads: "By this plague he will be
damned who knows he is dead, all cold in a black body. And let this be thy
first comfort: then he will burn unto calcination. When I have reduced him
within this door, know for certain that I shall be blessed if I shall know how
to cultivate the garden." The main part of the leaf is devoted to an elaborate
symbolic drawing of alchemical equipment, under which are the words:
"The furnace of distillation, congealing, rectification, perfection, fixation:
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quintessence of the Philosophers." By "quintessence" should be understood
the "fifth essence" of the most wise.
Leaf 24. The words at the top read: "I, the bird [the adept], speak into thine
ears from the Sun, Moon and Azoth. The work is perfected with little labor."
The panel to the left describes the nature of primordial matter and the drink
of the Philosophers. The text to the right reads: "This is my beloved Son
whom I saw and loved. If he be resurrected, He will remain at home, and in
that house the spirit will be the soul and the body; for Mercury may be called
the son of the Sun and the Moon." Under the child's figure is added: "If he
were not dead, I should not have been his mother. I bore him after death
before he was born in the world; under my feet I have what was his, and out
of me and my Son and the foundation of my feet the Philosopher's Stone is
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made." At the lower left the three constituents of the Stone are shown
elevated upon a pedestal to signify their dignity.
Leaf 25. Above the figure of the Queen are three lines stating, in substance,
that in the beginning of the book it was written of her that from her maternal
breasts she nourished the Sun, and that he who was capable of converting
her into Primal matter possessed rare skill. Opposite the Queen's head are
the words: "In the highest mountains this water" and "I am the light of the
Philosophers." To the left of the Queen is an admonition to strike the sons
whom she bears. She calls herself "The mother of the Sun, the sister of the
Moon, and the servant and spouse of Mercury." On the right she is made to
exclaim: "I cannot be crowned unless these sons of mine become ashes. "
The sons are shown directly below. The verse under the Queen continues the
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alchemical processes, describing the method in which the exudations from
the substance should be preserved.
Leaf 26. This page, which concludes that part of the Hermetic manuscript
bearing the symbols of the Secret Work, contains a number of emblems not
directly correlated. At the top is the head of the King--the most common of
alchemical figures. To the right of the King is an alchemical vessel
designated the Hermetic Seal. Below is the head of a ferocious bird, here
designated a griffon. To the left of the King is a headless figure elevating a
Sun, or spiritual face. This figure is the world, which must be headless, since
its spiritual and rational part is not material and consequently, is invisible.
Below is a circle unaccompanied by descriptive matter. Directly under the
King's head is a vase of flowers, in which rises the golden plant of the
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Philosophers. At the bottom of the page is additional alchemical equipment,
this also being termed a Hermetic Seal.
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ascended into the air, at the same time blowing upon her trumpet a blast
which shook the house. Upon the seal of the letter was a curious cross and
the words In hoc signo vinces. Within, traced in letters of gold on an azure
field, was an invitation to a royal wedding.
C.R.C. was deeply moved by the invitation because it was the fulfillment of
a prophecy which he had received seven years before, but so unworthy did
he feel that he was paralyzed with fear. At length, after resorting to prayer,
he sought sleep. In his dreams he found himself in a loathsome dungeon
with a multitude of other men, all bound and fettered with great chains. The
grievousness of their sufferings was increased as they stumbled over each
other in the darkness. Suddenly from above came the sound of trumpets; the
cover of the dungeon was lifted, and a ray of light pierced the gloom.
Framed in the light stood a hoary-headed man who announced that a rope
would be lowered seven times and whoever could cling to the rope would be
drawn up to freedom.
Great confusion ensued. All sought to grasp the rope and many were pulled
away from it by others. C.R.C. despaired of being saved, but suddenly the
rope swung towards him and, grasping it, he was raised from the dungeon.
An aged woman called the "Ancient Matron" wrote in a golden yellow book
the names of those drawn forth, and each of the redeemed was given for
remembrance a piece of gold bearing the symbol of the sun and the letters D
L S. C.R.C., who had been injured while clinging to the rope, found it
difficult to walk. The aged woman bade him not to worry, but to thank God
who had permitted him to come into so high a light. Thereupon trumpets
sounded and C.R.C. awoke, but so vivid was the dream that he was still
sensible of the wounds received while asleep.
With renewed faith C. R. C. arose and prepared himself for the Hermetic
Marriage. He donned a white linen coat and bound a red ribbon crosswise
over his shoulders. In his hat he stuck four roses and for food he carried
bread, water, and salt. Before leaving his cottage, he knelt and vowed that
whatever knowledge was revealed to him he would devote to the service of
his neighbor. He then departed from his house with joy.
As he entered the forest surrounding his little house, it seemed to C.R.C. that
all Nature had joyously prepared for the wedding. As he proceeded singing
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merrily, he came to a green heath in which stood three great cedars, one
bearing a tablet with an inscription describing the four paths that led to the
palace of the King: the first short and dangerous, the second circuitous, the
third a pleasant and royal road, and the fourth suitable only for incorruptible
bodies. Weary and perplexed, C.R.C. decided to rest and, cutting a slice of
bread, was about to partake thereof when a white dove begged it from him.
The dove was at once attacked by a raven, and in his efforts to separate the
birds C.R.C. unknowingly ran a considerable distance along one of the four
paths--that leading southward. A terrific wind preventing him from retracing
his steps, the wedding guest resigned himself to the loss of his bread and
continued along the road until he espied in the distance a great gate. The sun
being low, he hastened towards the portal, upon which, among other figures,
was a tablet bearing the words Procul hinc procul ite profani.
A beautiful virgin called Virgo Lucifera was extinguishing the castle lights
as C.R.C. approached, and he was barely able to squeeze through the closing
gates. As they closed they caught part of his coat, which he was forced to
leave behind. Here his name was written in the Lord Bridegroom's little
vellum book and he was presented with a new pair of shoes and also a token
bearing the letters S P N. He was then conducted by pages to a small
chamber where the "ice-grey locks" were cut from the crown of his head by
invisible barbers, after which he was ushered into a spacious hall where a
goodly number of kings, princes, and commoners were assembled. At the
sound of trumpets each seated himself at the table, taking a position
corresponding to his dignity, so that C.R.C. received a very humble seat.
Most of the pseudo-philosophers present being vain pretenders, the banquet
became an orgy, which, however, suddenly ceased at the sound of
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stately and inspired music. For nearly half an hour no one spoke. Then
amidst a great sound the door of the dining hall swung open and thousands
of lighted tapers held by invisible hands entered. These were followed by the
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two pages lighting the beautiful Virgo Lucifera seated on a self-moving
throne. The white-and-gold-robed Virgin then rose and announced that to
prevent the admission of unworthy persons to the mystical wedding a set of
scales would be erected the following day upon which each guest would be
weighed to determine his integrity. Those unwilling to undergo this ordeal
she stated should remain in the dining hall. She then withdrew, but many of
the tapers stayed to accompany the guests to their quarters for the night.
Most of those present were presumptuous enough to believe that they could
be safety weighed, but nine--including C.R.C.--felt their shortcomings so
deeply that they feared the outcome and remained in the hall while the others
were led away to their sleeping chambers. These nine were bound with ropes
and left alone in darkness. C.R.C. then dreamed that he saw many men
suspended over the earth by threads, and among them flew an aged man
who, cutting here and there a thread, caused many to fall to earth. Those who
in arrogance had soared to lofty heights accordingly fell a greater distance
and sustained more serious injury than the more humble ones who, falling
but a short distance, often landed without mishap. Considering this dream to
be a good omen, C.R.C. related it to a companion, continuing in discourse
with him until dawn.
Soon after dawn the trumpets sounded and the Virgo Lucifera, arrayed in red
velvet, girded with a white sash, and crowned with a laurel wreath, entered
accompanied by two hundred men in red-and-white livery. She intimated to
C.R.C. and his eight companions that they might fare better than the other,
self-satisfied guests. Golden scales were then hung in the midst of the hall
and near them were placed seven weights, one good-sized, four small, and
two very large. The men in livery, each carrying a naked sword and a strong
rope, were divided into seven groups and from each group was chosen a
captain, who was given charge of one of the weights. Having remounted her
high throne, Virgo Lucifera ordered the ceremony to begin. The first to step
on the scales was an emperor so virtuous that the balances did not tip until
six weights had been placed upon the opposite end. He was therefore turned
over to the sixth group. The rich and poor alike stood upon the scales, but
only a few passed the test successfully. To these were given velvet robes and
wreaths of laurel, after which they were seated upon the steps of Virgo
Lucifera's throne. Those who failed were ridiculed and scourged.
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The "inquisition" being finished, one of the captains begged Virgo Lucifera
to permit the nine men who had declared themselves unworthy also to be
weighed, and this caused C.R.C. anguish and fear. Of the first seven one
succeeded and was greeted with joy. C.R.C. was the eighth and he not only
withstood all the weights but even when three men hung on the opposite end
of the beam he could not be moved. A page cried out: "THAT IS HE!"
C.R.C. was quickly set at liberty and permitted to release one of the captives.
He chose the first emperor. Virgo Lucifera then requested the red roses that
C.R.C. carried, which he immediately gave her. The ceremony of the scales
ended about ten o'clock in the forenoon.
At supper the various guests propounded enigmas and C.R.C. solved the
riddle which Virgo Lucifera asked concerning her own identity. Then
entered the dining hall two youths and six virgins beautifully robed,
followed by a seventh virgin wearing a coronet. The latter was called the
Duchess, and was mistaken for the Hermetic Bride. The Duchess told C.R.C.
that he had received more than the others, therefore should make a greater
return. The Duchess then asked each of the virgins to pick up one of the
seven weights which still remained in the great room. To Virgo Lucifera was
given the heaviest weight, which was hung in the Queen's chamber during
the singing of a hymn. In the second chamber the first virgin hung her
weight during a similar ceremony; thus they proceeded from room to room
until the weights had been disposed of. The Duchess then presented her hand
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to C. R. C. and his companions and, followed by her virgins, withdrew.
Pages then conducted the guests to their sleeping chambers. The one
assigned to C.R.C. was hung with rare tapestries and with beautiful
paintings.
After washing and drinking in the garden from a fountain which bore several
inscriptions--among them one reading, "Drink, brothers, and live"--the guests, led by
Virgo Lucifera, ascended the 365 steps of the royal winding stairs. The guests were given
wreaths of laurel and, a curtain being raised, found themselves in the presence of the
King and Queen. C.R.C. was awestruck by the glory of the throne room and especially by
the magnificence of the Queen's robes, which were so dazzling that he could not gaze
upon them. Each guest was presented to the King by one of the virgins and after this
ceremony the Virgo Lucifera made a short speech in which she recited the
achievements of the honest "artists" and begged that each be questioned as
to whether she had properly fulfilled her duty. Old Atlas then stepped
forward and in the name of their Royal Majesties greeted the intrepid band
of philosophers and assured Virgo Lucifera that she should receive a royal
reward.
The length of the throne room was five times its width. To the west was a
great porch in which stood three thrones, the central one elevated. On each
throne sat two persons: on the first an ancient king with a young consort; on
the third a black king with a veiled matron beside him; and on the central
throne two young persons over whose heads hung a large and costly crown,
about which hovered a little Cupid who shot his arrows first at the two
lovers and then about the hall. Before the Queen a book bound in black
velvet lay on a small altar, on which were golden decorations. Beside this
were a burning candle, a celestial globe, a small striking-watch, a little
crystal pipe from which ran a stream of clear blood-red liquor, and a skull
with a white serpent crawling in and out of the orbits. After their
presentations, the guests retired down the winding stairs to the great hall.
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volume, While an occasional exception is found, in practically every instance the mutilated books either
deal with Rosicrucianism or contain cryptic writings of suspected Rosicrucian origin. It is presumed that
this Practice of obliterating the owners names was to prevent the early Rosicrucians and Hermetists from
being discovered through the volumes composing their libraries. Elias Ashmole's plate shows the analogies
between the life of Christ and the four grand divisions of the alchemical process. Herein is also revealed
the teaching that the Philosopher's Stone itself is a macrocosm and a microcosm, embodying the principles
of astronomy and cosmogony, both universal and human.
Later the Virgo Lucifera announced that a comedy was to be performed for
the benefit of the six royal guests in a building called the House of the Sun.
C.R.C. and his companions formed part of the royal procession, which after
a considerable walk arrived at the theater. The play was in seven acts, and
after its happy ending all returned through the garden and up the winding
stairs to the throne room. C.R.C. noticed the young King was very sad and
that at the banquet following he often sent meat to the white serpent in the
skull. The feast over, the young King, holding in his hand the little black
book from the altar, asked the guests if they would all be true to him through
prosperity and adversity, and when they tremblingly agreed he asked that
each should sign his name in the little black book as proof of his fealty. The
royal persons then drank from the little crystal fountain, the others
afterwards doing likewise. This was called the "Draught of Silence." The
royal persons then sadly shook hands with all present. Suddenly a little bell
tinkled and immediately the kings and queens took off their white garments
and donned black ones, the room was hung in sable draperies, and the tables
were removed. The eyes of the royal persons were bound with six black
taffeta scarfs and six coffins were placed in the center of the room. An
executioner, a Moor, robed in black and bearing an axe, entered, and
beheaded in turn each of the six royal persons. The blood of each was caught
in a golden goblet, which was placed in the coffins with the body. The
executioner was also decapitated and his head placed in a small chest.
The Virgo Lucifera, after assuring C.R.C. and his companions that all should
be well if they were faithful and true, ordered the pages to conduct them to
their rooms for the night while she remained to watch with the dead. About
midnight C.R.C. awakened suddenly and, looking from his window, beheld
seven ships sailing upon a lake. Above each hovered a flame; these he
believed to be the spirits of the beheaded. When the ships reached shore, the
Virgo Lucifera met them and on each of six of the vessels was placed a
covered coffin. As soon as the coffins had been thus disposed of, the lights
were extinguished and the flames passed back over the lake so that there
remained but one light for a watch in each ship. After beholding this strange
ceremony, C.R.C. returned to his bed and slept till morning.
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THE FIFTH DAY
Rising at daybreak and entreating his page to show him other treasures of the
palace, C.R.C. was conducted down many steps to a great iron door bearing
a curious inscription, which he carefully copied. Passing through, he found
himself in the royal treasury, the light in which came entirely from some
huge carbuncles. In the center stood the triangular sepulcher of Lady Venus.
Lifting a copper door in the pavement, the page ushered C.R.C. into a crypt
where stood a great bed upon which, when his guide had raised the
coverlets, C.R.C. beheld the body of Venus. Led by his page, C.R.C. then
rejoined his companions, saying nothing to them of his experience.
Virgo Lucifera, robed in black velvet and accompanied by her virgins, then
led the guests out into the courtyard where stood six coffins, each with eight
pallbearers. C.R.C. was the only one of the group of "artists" who suspected
the royal bodies were no longer in these coffins. The coffins were lowered
into graves and great stones rolled over them. The Virgo Lucifera then made
a short oration in which she exhorted each to assist in restoring the royal
persons to life, declaring that they should journey with her to the Tower of
Olympus, where the medicines necessary to the resurrection of the six royal
persons could alone be found. C.R.C. and his companions followed Virgo
Lucifera to the seashore, where all embarked on seven ships disposed
according to a certain strange order. As the ships sailed across the lake and
through a narrow channel into the open sea, they were attended by sirens,
nymphs, and sea goddesses, who in honor of the wedding presented a great
and beautiful pearl to the royal couple. When the ships came in sight of the
Tower of Olympus, Virgo Lucifera ordered the discharge of cannon to signal
their approach. Immediately a white flag appeared upon the tower and a
small gilded pinnace, containing an ancient man--the warden of the tower--
with his white-clad guards came out to meet the ships.
The Tower of Olympus stood upon an island which was exactly square and
was surrounded by a great wall. Entering the gate, the group was led to the
bottom of the central tower, which contained an excellent laboratory where
the guests were fain to beat and wash plants, precious stones, and all sorts of
things, extract their juice and essence, and put these latter into glasses. Virgo
Lucifera set the "artists" to work so arduously that they felt they were mere
drudges. When the day's work was finished, each was assigned a mattress on
the stone floor. Being unable to sleep, C.R.C. wandered about contemplating
the stars. Chancing upon a flight of steps leading to the top of the wall, he
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climbed up and looked out upon the sea. Remaining here for some time,
about midnight he beheld seven flames which, passing over the sea towards
him, gathered themselves on the top of the spire of the central tower.
Simultaneously the winds arose, the sea became tempestuous, and the moon
was covered with clouds. With some fear C.R.C. ran down the stairs and
returned to the tower and, lying down on his mattress, was lulled to sleep by
the sound of a gently flowing fountain in the laboratory.
The next morning the aged warden of the tower, after examining the work
performed by the wedding guests in the laboratory and finding it
satisfactory, caused ladders, ropes, and large wings to be brought forth, and
addressed the assembled "artists" thus: "My dear sons, one of these three
things must each of you this day constantly bear about with him." Lots were
cast and to C.R.C., much to his chagrin, fell a heavy ladder. Those who
secured wings had them fastened to their backs so cunningly that it was
impossible to detect that they were artificial. The aged warden then locked
the "artists" in the lower room of the tower, but in a short time a round hole
was uncovered in the ceiling and Virgo Lucifera invited all to ascend. Those
with wings flew at once through the opening, those with ropes had many
difficulties, while C.R.C. with his ladder made reasonable speed. On the
second floor the wedding guests, musicians, and Virgo Lucifera gathered
about a fountain-like contrivance containing the bodies of the six royal
persons.
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diamond, revealing a beautiful white egg. Carrying this with her, Virgo
Lucifera departed.
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Here the shining Word has dissipated the shadows and a glorious universe has been formed. The divine
power of this radiant globe is cognizable to man as the sun. The large light and a dark section represents
the created universes partaking of the light and darkness which are in the nature of the Creator. The dark
half represents the Deep, or Chaos, the Eternal Waters pouring forth out of the Deity; the light half-circle
containing the figure of Apollo represents the diurnal hemisphere of the world, which in the ancient
Mysteries was ruled over by Apollo. The dark half-circle is the nocturnal hemisphere ruled over by
Dionysius (Dionysos), whose figure is faintly visible in the gloom.
themselves upon the fourth floor, where stood a square kettle filled with
silver sand warmed by a gentle fire. The great white egg was placed upon
the warm sand to mature. In a short time it cracked and there emerged an
ugly, ill-tempered bird, which was fed with the blood of the beheaded royal
persons diluted with prepared water. At each feeding its feathers changed
color; from black they turned to white and at last they became varicolored,
the disposition of the bird improving the while. Dinner was then served,
after which Virgo Lucifera departed with the bird. The guests ascended with
ropes, ladders, and wings to the fifth floor, where a bath colored with fine
white powder had been prepared for the bird, which enjoyed bathing in it
until the lamps placed beneath the bath caused the water to become
uncomfortably warm. When the heat had removed all the bird's feathers it
was taken out, but the fire continued until nothing remained in the bath save
a sediment in the form of a blue stone. This was later pounded up and made
into a pigment; with this, all of the bird except the head was painted.
The guests thereupon ascended to the sixth floor, where stood a small altar
resembling that in the King's throne room. The bird drank from the little
fountain and was fed with the blood of the white serpent which crawled
through the openings in the skull. The sphere by the altar revolved
continuously. The watch struck one, two, and then three, at which time the
bird, laying its neck upon the book, suffered itself to be decapitated. Its body
was burned to ashes, which were placed in a box of cypress wood. Virgo
Lucifera told C.R.C. and three of his comrades that they were lazy and
sluggish "labourators" and would therefore be excluded from the seventh
room. Musicians were sent for, who with cornets were to "blow" the four in
ridicule from the chamber. C.R.C. and his three companions were
disheartened until the musicians told them to be of good cheer and led them
up a winding stair to the eighth floor of the tower directly beneath the roof.
Here the old warden, standing upon a little round furnace, welcomed them
and congratulated them upon being chosen by Virgo Lucifera, for this
greater work. Virgo Lucifera then entered, and after laughing at the
perplexity of her guests, emptied the ashes of the bird into another vessel,
filling the cypress box with useless matter. She thereupon returned to the
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seventh floor, presumably to mislead those assembled there by setting them
to work upon the false ashes in the box.
C.R.C. and his three friends were set to work moistening the bird's ashes
with specially prepared water until the mixture became of doughlike
consistency, after which it was heated and molded into two miniature forms.
Later these were opened, disclosing two bright and almost transparent
human images about four inches high (homunculi), one male and the other
female. These tiny forms were laid upon satin cushions and fed drop by drop
with the blood of the bird until they grew to normal size and of great beauty.
Though the bodies had the consistency of flesh, they showed no signs of life,
for the soul was not in them. The bodies were next surrounded with torches
and their faces covered with silk. Virgo Lucifera then appeared, bearing two
curious white garments. The virgins also entered, among them six bearing
great trumpets. A trumpet was placed upon the mouth of one of the two
figures and C.R.C. saw a tiny hole open in the dome of the tower and a ray
of light descend through the tube of the trumpet and enter the body. This
process was repeated three times on each body. The two newly ensouled
forms were then removed upon a traveling couch. In about half an hour the
young King and Queen awakened and the Virgo Lucifera presented them
with the white garments. These they donned and the King in his own person
most graciously returned thanks to C.R.C. and his companions, after which
the royal persons departed upon a ship. C.R.C. and his three privileged
friends then rejoined the other "artists," making no mention of that which
they had seen. Later the entire party were assigned handsome chambers,
where they rested till morning.
In the morning Virgo Lucifera announced that each of the wedding guests
had become a "Knight of the Golden Stone. " The aged warden then
presented each man with a gold medal, bearing on one side the inscription
"At. Nat. Mi. " and on the other, "Tem. Na. F." The entire company returned
in twelve ships to the King's palace. The flags on the vessels bore the signs
of the zodiac, and C.R.C. sat under that of Libra. As they entered the lake,
many ships met them and the King and Queen, together with their lords,
ladies, and virgins, rode forth on a golden barge to greet the returning guests.
Atlas then made a short oration in the King's behalf, also asking for the royal
presents. In reply the aged warden delivered to Cupid, who hovered about
the royal pair, a small, curious-shaped casket. C.R.C. and the old lord, each
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bearing a snow-white ensign with a red cross on it, rode in the carriage with
the King. At the first gate stood the porter with blue clothes, who, upon
seeing C.R.C., begged him to intercede with the King to release him from
that post of servitude. The King replied that the porter was a famous
astrologer who was forced to keep the gate as a punishment for the crime of
having gazed upon Lady Venus reposing upon her couch. The King further
declared that the porter could be released only when another was found who
had committed the same crime. Upon hearing this, C.R.C.'s heart sank, for
he realized himself to be the culprit, but he remained silent at that time.
The newly created Knights of the Golden Stone were obliged to subscribe to
five articles drawn up by His Royal Highness: (1) That they would ascribe
their Order only to God and His handmaid, Nature. (2) That they should
abominate all uncleanness and vice. (3) That they should always be ready to
assist the worthy and needy. (4) That they should not use their knowledge
and power for the attainment of worldly dignity. (5) That they should not
desire to live longer than God had decreed. They were then duly installed as
Knights, which ceremony was ratified in a little chapel where C. R. C. hung
up his Golden Fleece and his hat for an eternal memorial, and here he
inscribed the following: Summa Scientia nihil Scire, Fr. Christianus
Rosencreutz. Eques aurei Lapidis. Anno 1459.
After the ceremony, C.R.C. admitted that he was the one who had beheld
Venus and consequently must become the porter of the gate. The King
embraced him fondly and he was assigned to a great room containing three
beds--one for himself, one for the aged lord of the tower, and the third for
old Atlas.
The Chemical Marriage here comes to an abrupt end, leaving the impression
that C.R.C. was to assume his duties as porter on the following morning.
The book ends in the middle of a sentence, with a note in italics presumably
by the editor.
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murderous agencies of society which seek to destroy Truth as recounted in
the Masonic legend of Hiram Abiff. The first six days of The Chemical
Marriage set forth the processes of philosophical "creation" through which
every organism must pass. The three kings are the threefold spirit of man
and their consorts the corresponding vehicles of their expression in the lower
world. The executioner is the mind, the higher part of which--symbolized by
the head--is necessary to the achievement of the philosophical labor. Thus
the parts of man--by the alchemists symbolized as planets and elements--
when blended together according to a certain Divine formula result in the
creation of two philosophic "babes" which, fed upon the blood of the
alchemical bird, become rulers of the world.
From an ethical standpoint, the young King and Queen resurrected at the
summit of the tower and ensouled by Divine Life represent the forces of
Intelligence and Love which must ultimately guide society. Intelligence and
Love are the two great ethical luminaries of the world and correspond to
enlightened spirit and regenerated body. The bridegroom is reality and the
bride the regenerated being who attains perfection by becoming one with
reality through a cosmic marriage wherein the mortal part attains
immortality by being united with its own immortal Source. In the Hermetic
Marriage divine and human consciousness are united in holy wedlock and
he in whom this sacred ceremony takes place is designated as "Knight of the
Golden Stone"; he thereby becomes a divine philosophic diamond composed
of the quintessence of his own sevenfold constitution.
Such is the true interpretation of the mystical process of becoming "a bride
of the Lamb." The Lamb of God is signified by the Golden Fleece that Jason
was forced to win before he could assume his kingship. The Flying Lion is
illumined will, an absolute prerequisite to the achievement of the Great
Work. The episode of weighing the souls of men has its parallel in the
ceremony described in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The walled city
entered by C.R.C. represents the sanctuary of wisdom wherein dwell the real
rulers of the world--the initiated philosophers.
Like the ancient Mysteries after which it was patterned, the Order of the
Rose Cross possessed a secret ritual which was lived by the candidate for a
prescribed number of years before he was eligible to the inner degrees of the
society. The various floors of the Tower of Olympus represent the orbits of
the planets. The ascent of the philosophers from one floor to another also
parallels certain rituals of the Eleusinian Mysteries and the rites of Mithras
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wherein the candidate ascended the seven rungs of a ladder or climbed the
seven steps of a pyramid in order to signify release from the influences of
the Planetary Governors. Man becomes master of the seven spheres only
when he transmutes the impulses received from them. He who masters the
seven worlds and is reunited with the Divine Source of his own nature
consummates the Hermetic Marriage.
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It is quite evident that William Shakspere could not, unaided, have produced
the immortal writings bearing his name. He did not possess the necessary
literary culture, for the town of Stratford where he was reared contained no
school capable of imparting the higher forms of learning reflected in the
writings ascribed to him. His parents were illiterate, and in his early life he
evinced a total disregard for study. There are in existence but six known
examples of Shakspere's handwriting. All are signatures, and three of them
are in his will. The scrawling, uncertain method of their execution stamps
Shakspere as unfamiliar with the use of a pen, and it is obvious either that he
copied a signature prepared for him or that his hand was guided while he
wrote. No autograph manuscripts of the "Shakespearian" plays or sonnets
have been discovered, nor is there even a tradition concerning them other
than the fantastic and impossible statement appearing in the foreword of the
Great Folio.
The query also has been raised, "Where did William Shakspere secure his
knowledge of modern French, Italian, Spanish, and Danish, to say nothing of
classical Latin and Greek?" For, in spite of the rare discrimination with
which Latin is used by the author of the Shakespearian plays, Ben Jonson,
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who knew Shakspere intimately, declared that the Stratford actor understood
"small Latin and less Greek"! Is it not also more than strange that no record
exists of William Shakspere's having ever played a leading rle in the
famous dramas he is supposed to have written or in others produced by the
company of which he was a member? True, he may have owned a small
interest in the Globe Theatre or Blackfriars, but apparently the height of his
thespian achievements was the Ghost in Hamlet!
While the Folios and Quartos usually are signed "William Shakespeare," all
the known autographs of the Stratford actor read "William Shakspere." Does
this change in spelling contain any significance heretofore generally
overlooked? Furthermore, if the publishers of the First Shakespearian Folio
revered their fellow actor as much as their claims in that volume would
indicate, why did they, as if in ironical allusion to a hoax which they were
perpetrating, place an evident caricature of him on the title page?
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profundity of the Shakespearian productions stamps their creator as one of
the illuminati of the ages. Most of those seeking a solution for the Bacon-
Shakspere controversy have been intellectualists. Notwithstanding their
scholarly attainments, they have overlooked the important part played by
transcendentalism in the philosophic achievements of the ages. The
mysteries of superphysics are inexplicable to the materialist, whose training
does not equip him to estimate the extent of their ramifications and
complexities. Yet who but a Platonist, a Qabbalist, or a Pythagorean could
have written The Tempest, Macbeth, Hamlet, or The Tragedy of Cymbeline?
Who but one deeply versed in Paracelsian lore could have conceived, A
Midsummer Night's Dream?
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Baconian experts declare Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy to be in reality Francis Bacon's scrapbook in
which he gathered strange and rare bits of knowledge during the many years of eventful life. This title page
has long been supposed to contain a cryptic message. The key to this cipher is the pointing figure of the
maniac in the lower right-hand corner of the design. According to Mrs. Elizabeth Wells Gallup, the
celestial globe at which the maniac is pointing is a cryptic symbol of Sir Francis Bacon. The planetary
signs which appear in the clouds opposite the marginal figures 4, 5;, 6, and 7 signify the planetary
configurations, which produce the forms of mania depicted. The seated man, with his head resting upon his
hand. is declared by Baconian enthusiasts to represent Sir Francis Bacon.
of modern law, editor of the modem Bible, patron of modem democracy, and
one of the founders of modern Freemasonry, Sir Francis Bacon was a man of
many aims and purposes. He was a Rosicrucian, some have intimated the
Rosicrucian. If not actually the Illustrious Father C.R.C. referred to in the
Rosicrucian manifestoes, he was certainly a high initiate of the Rosicrucian
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Order, and it is his activities in connection with this secret body that are of
prime importance to students of symbolism, philosophy, and literature.
Scores of volumes have been written to establish Sir Francis Bacon as the
real author of the plays and sonnets popularly ascribed to William
Shakspere. An impartial consideration of these documents cannot but
convince the open-minded of the verisimilitude of the Baconian theory. In
fact those enthusiasts who for years have struggled to identify Sir Francis
Bacon as the true "Bard of Avon" might long since have won their case had
they emphasized its most important angle, namely, that Sir Francis Bacon,
the Rosicrucian initiate, wrote into the Shakespearian plays the secret
teachings of the Fraternity of R.C. and the true rituals of the Freemasonic
Order, of which order it may yet be discovered that he was the actual
founder. A sentimental world, however, dislikes to give up a traditional hero,
either to solve a controversy or to right a wrong. Nevertheless, if it can be
proved that by raveling out the riddle there can be discovered information of
practical value to mankind, then the best minds of the world will cooperate
in the enterprise. The Bacon-Shakspere controversy, as its most able
advocates realize, involves the most profound aspects of science, religion,
and ethics; he who solves its mystery may yet find therein the key to the
supposedly lost wisdom of antiquity.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
remarkable tribute: "I have been enduced to think that if there were a beame
of knowledge derived from God upon any man in these modern times, it was
upon him. For though he was a great reader of books; yet he had not his
knowledge from books but from some grounds and notions from within
himself. " (See Introduction to the Resuscitado.)
Sir Francis Bacon, being not only an able barrister but also a polished
courtier, also possessed that intimate knowledge of parliamentary law and
the etiquette of the royal court revealed in the Shakespearian plays which
could scarcely have been acquired by a man in the humble station of the
Stratford actor. Lord Verulam furthermore visited many of the foreign
countries forming the background for the plays and was therefore in a
position to create the authentic local atmosphere contained therein, but there
is no record of William Shakspere's ever having traveled outside of England.
The magnificent library amassed by Sir Francis Bacon contained the very
volumes necessary to supply the quotations and anecdotes incorporated into
the Shakespearian plays. Many of the plays, in fact, were taken from plots in
earlier writings of which there was no English translation at that time.
Because of his scholastic acquirements, Lord Verulam could have read the
original books; it is most unlikely that William Shakspere could have done
so.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The first letters of the first and second lines together with the first three
letters of the third line form the word BACon. Similar acrostics appear
frequently in Bacon's acknowledged writings.
"Evidently realizing that futurity would unveil his full genius, Lord Verulam
in his will bequeathed his soul to God above by the oblations of his Savior,
his body to be buried obscurely, his name and memory to men's charitable
speeches, to foreign nations, to succeeding ages, and to his own countrymen
after some time had elapsed. That portion appearing in italics Bacon deleted
from his will, apparently fearing that he had said too much.
That Sir Francis Bacon's subterfuge was known to a limited few during his
lifetime is quite evident. Accordingly, stray hints regarding the true author of
the Shakespearian plays may be found in many seventeenth century
volumes. On page 33 (Bacon's cipher number) of the 1609 edition of Robert
Cawdry's Treasurie or Storehouse
A BACONIAN SIGNATURE
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The curious volume from which this figure is taken was published in Paris in r618. The attention of the
Baconian student is immediately attracted by the form of the hog in the foreground. Bacon often used this
animal as a play upon his own name, especially because the name Bacon was derived from he word beech
and the nut of this tree was used to fatten hogs. The two pillars in the background have considerable
Masonic interest. The two A's nearly in the center of the picture--one light and one shaded--are alone
almost conclusive proof of Baconian influence. The most convincing evidence, however, is the fact that 17
is the numerical equivalent of the letters of the Latin farm of Bacon's name (F. Baco) and there are 17
letters in the three words appearing in the illustration.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
of Similes appears the following significant allusion: "Like as men would
laugh at a poore man, if having precious garments lent him to act and play
the part of some honourable personage upon a stage, when the play were at
an ende he should keepe them as his owne, and bragge up and downe in
them."
Again, on the title page of the first edition of Sir Francis Bacon's New
Atlantis, Father Time is depicted bringing a female figure out of the darkness
of a cave. Around the device is a Latin inscription: "In time the secret truth
shall be revealed." The catchwords and printer's devices appearing in
volumes published especially during the first half of the seventeenth century
were designed, arranged, and in some cases mutilated according to a definite
plan.
The requirements of Lord Verulam's biliteral cipher are fully met in scores
of volumes printed between 1590 and 1650 and in some printed at other
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
times. An examination of the verses by L. Digges, dedicated to the memory
of the deceased "Authour Maister W. Shakespeare," reveals the use of two
fonts of type for both capital and small letters, the differences being most
marked in the capital T's, N's, and A's, (Seethe First Folio.) The cipher has
been deleted from subsequent editions.
The Rosicrucians and other secret societies of the seventeenth century used
watermarks as mediums for the conveyance of cryptographic references, and
books presumably containing Baconian ciphers are usually printed upon
paper bearing Rosicrucian or Masonic watermarks; often there are several
symbols in one book, such as the Rose Cross, urns, bunches of grapes, and
others.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
1900, and after it has been thoroughly checked its exact nature will be made
public.
No reasonable doubt remains that the Masonic Order is the direct outgrowth
of the secret societies of the Middle Ages, nor can it be denied that
Freemasonry is permeated by the symbolism and mysticism of the ancient
and medival worlds. Sir Francis Bacon knew the true secret of Masonic
origin and there is reason to suspect that he concealed this knowledge in
cipher and cryptogram. Bacon is not to be regarded solely as a man but
rather as the focal point between an invisible institution and a world which
was never able to distinguish between the messenger and the message which
he promulgated. This secret society, having rediscovered the lost wisdom of
the ages and fearing that the knowledge might be lost again, perpetuated it in
two ways: (1) by an organization (Freemasonry)
A CRYPTIC HEADPIECE
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
to the initiates of which it revealed its wisdom in the form of symbols; (2) by
embodying its arcana in the literature of the day by means of cunningly
contrived ciphers and enigmas.
Masonic research might discover much of value if it would turn its attention
to certain volumes published during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
which bear the stamp and signet of that secret society whose members first
established modern Freemasonry but themselves remained as an intangible
group controlling and directing the activities of the outer body. The unknown
history and lost rituals of Freemasonry may be rediscovered in the
symbolism and cryptograms of the Middle Ages. Freemasonry is the bright
and glorious son of a mysterious and hidden father. It cannot trace its
parentage because that origin is obscured by the veil of the superphysical
and the mystical. The Great Folio of 1623 is a veritable treasure house of
Masonic lore and symbolism, and the time is at hand when that Great Work
should be accorded the consideration which is its due.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
entrusted with the perpetuation and dissemination of s the arcana of the
superphysical originally in the possession of the pagan hierophants, and to
attain that end either formulated the Fraternity of R.C. or was admitted into
an organization already existing under that name and became one of its
principal representatives.
For some reason not apparent to the uninitiated there has been a continued
and consistent effort to prevent the unraveling of the Baconian skein.
Whatever the power may be which continually blocks the efforts of
investigators, it is as unremitting now as it was immediately following
Bacon's death, and those attempting to solve the enigma still feel the weight
of its resentment.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The cryptic writings of Francis Bacon constitute one of the most powerful
tangible elements in the mysteries of transcendentalism and symbolic
philosophy. Apparently many years must yet pass before an
uncomprehending world will appreciate the transcending genius of that
mysterious man who wrote the Novum Organum, who sailed his little ship
far out into the unexplored sea of learning through the Pillars of Hercules,
and whose ideals for a new civilization are magnificently expressed in the
Utopian dream of The New Atlantis. Was Sir Francis Bacon a second
Prometheus? Did his great love for the people of the world and his pity for
their ignorance cause him to bring the divine fire from heaven concealed
within the contents of a printed page?
In all probability, the keys to the Baconian riddle will be found in classical
mythology. He who understands the secret of the Seven-Rayed God will
comprehend the method employed by Bacon to accomplish his monumental
labor. Aliases were assumed by him in accordance with the attributes and
order of the members of the planetary system. One of the least known--but
most important--keys to the Baconian enigma is the Third, or 1637, Edition,
published in Paris, of Les Images ou Tableaux de platte peinture des deux
Philostrates sophistes grecs et les statues de Callistrate, by Blaise de
Vigenere. The title page of this volume--which, as the name of the author
when properly deciphered indicates, was written by or under the direction of
Bacon or his secret society--is one mass of important Masonic or
Rosicrucian symbols. On page 486 appears a plate entitled "Hercules
Furieux," showing a gigantic figure shaking a spear, the ground before him
strewn with curious emblems. In his curious work, Das Bild des
Speershttlers die Lsung des Shakespeare-Rtsels, Alfred Freund attempts
to explain the Baconian symbolism in the Philostrates. Bacon he reveals as
the philosophical Hercules, whom time will establish as the true "Spear-
Shaker" (Shakespeare).
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Sir Walter Ralegh--soldier, courtier, statesman, writer, poet, philosopher, and explorer--was a scintillating
figure at the court of Queen Elizabeth. Upon this same man, King James--after the death of Elizabeth--
heaped every indignity within his power. The cowardly James, who shuddered at the mention of weapons
and cried like a child when he was crossed, was insanely jealous of the brilliant courtier. Ralegh's enemies,
Playing upon the king's weakness, did not cease their relentless persecution until Ralegh had been hanged
and his decapitated, quartered, and disemboweled body lay at their feet.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The title page reproduced above was used by Ralegh's political foes as a powerful weapon against him.
They convinced James I that the face of the central figure upholding the globe was a caricature of his own,
and the enraged king ordered every copy of the engraving destroyed. But a few copies escaped the royal
wrath; consequently the plate is extremely rare. The engraving is a mass Rosicrucian and Masonic
symbols, and the figures on the columns in all probability conceal a cryptogram. More significant still is
the fact that the page facing this plate is a headpiece identical with that used in the 1623 Folio of
"Shakespeare" and also in Bacon's Novum Organum.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The arcana of the ancient Mysteries were never revealed to the profane
except through the media of symbols. Symbolism fulfilled the dual office of
concealing the sacred truths from the uninitiated and revealing them to those
qualified to understand the symbols. Forms are the symbols of formless
divine principles; symbolism is the language of Nature. With reverence the
wise pierce the veil and with clearer vision contemplate the reality; but the
ignorant, unable to distinguish between the false and the true, behold a
universe of symbols. It may well be said of Nature--the Great Mother--that
she is ever tracing strange characters upon the surface of things, but only to
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
her eldest and wisest sons as a reward for their faith and devotion does she
reveal the cryptic alphabet which is the key to the import of these tracings.
The temples of the ancient Mysteries evolved their own sacred languages,
known only to their initiates and never spoken save in the sanctuary. The
illumined priests considered it sacrilege to discuss the sacred truths of the
higher worlds or the divine verities of eternal Nature in the same tongue as
that used by the vulgar for wrangling and dissension. A sacred science must
needs be couched in a sacred language. Secret alphabets also were invented,
and whenever the secrets of the wise were committed to writing, characters
meaningless to the uninformed were employed. Such forms of writing were
called sacred or Hermetic alphabets. Some--such as the famous angelic
writing--are still retained in the higher degrees of Masonry.
Secret alphabets were not entirely satisfactory, however, for although they
rendered unintelligible the true nature of the writings, their very presence
disclosed the fact of concealed information--which the priests also sought to
conceal. Through patience or persecution, the keys to these alphabets were
eventually acquired and the contents of the documents revealed to the
unworthy. This necessitated employment of more subtle methods for
concealing the divine truths. The result was the appearance of cryptic
systems of writing designed to conceal the presence of both the message and
the cryptogram. Having thus devised a method of transmitting their secrets
to posterity, the illuminati encouraged the circulation of certain documents
specially prepared through incorporating into them ciphers containing the
deepest secrets of mysticism and philosophy. Thus medival philosophers
disseminated their theories throughout Europe without evoking suspicion,
since volumes containing these cryptograms could be subjected to the
closest scrutiny without revealing the presence of the hidden message.
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that future generations, more kindly than their own, would discover and
appreciate their learning.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
"The Cryptomenysis and Cryptography of Gustavus Selenus in nine books, to which is added a clear
explanation of the System of Steganography of John Trithemius, Abbot of Spanheim and Herbipolis, a man
of admirable genius. Interspersed with worthy inventions of the Author and others, 1624." The author of
this volume was believed to be Augustus, Duke of Brunswick. The symbols and emblems ornamenting the
title page, however, are conclusive evidence that the fine hand of the Rosicrucians was behind its
publication. At the bottom of the picture is a nobleman (Bacon?) placing his hat on another man's head. In
the oval at the top of the plate, it is possible that the lights are beacons, or a play upon the name Bacon. In
the two side panels are striking and subtle "Shakespearian" allusions. On the left is a nobleman (possibly
Bacon) handing a paper to another man of mean appearance who carries in his hand a spear. At the right,
the man who previously carried the spear is shown in the costume of an actor, wearing spurs and blowing
a horn. The allusion to the actor blowing his horn and the figure carrying the spear suggest much,
especially as spear is the last syllable of the name "Shakespeare."
who translated the cipher manuscript of the friar, declared: "There are
drawings which so accurately portray the actual appearance of certain
objects that it is difficult to resist the inference that Bacon had seen them
with the microscope. * * * These are spermatozoa, the body cells and the
seminiferous tubes, the ova, with their nuclei distinctly indicated. There are
nine large drawings, of which one at least bears considerable resemblance to
a certain stage of development of a fertilized cell." (See Review of Reviews,
July, 1921.) Had Roger Bacon failed to conceal this discovery under a
complicated cipher, he would have been persecuted as a heretic and would
probably have met the fate of other early liberal thinkers. In spite of the
rapid progress made by science in the last two hundred and fifty years, it still
remains ignorant concerning many of the original discoveries made by
medival investigators. The only record of these important findings is that
contained in the cryptograms of the volumes which they published. While
many authors have written on the subject of cryptography, the books most
valuable to students of philosophy and religion are: Polygraphia and
Steganographia, by Trithemius, Abbot of Spanheim; Mercury, or The Secret
and Swift Messenger, by John Wilkins, Bishop of Chester; dipus
gyptiacus and other works by Athanasius Kircher, Society of Jesus; and
Cryptomenytices et Cryptographi, by Gustavus Selenus.
To illustrate the basic differences in their construction and use, the various
forms of ciphers are here grouped under seven general headings:
1. The literal cipher. The most famous of all literal cryptograms is the
famous biliteral cipher described by Sir Francis Bacon in his De Augmentis
Scientiarum. Lord Bacon originated the system while still a young man
residing in Paris. The biliteral cipher requires the use of two styles of type,
one an ordinary face and the other specially cut. The differences between the
two fonts are in many case so minute that it requires a powerful magnifying
glass to detect them. Originally, the cipher messages were concealed only in
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
the italicized words, sentences, or paragraphs, because the italic letters,
being more ornate than the Roman letters, offered greater opportunity for
concealing the slight but necessary variations. Sometimes the letters vary a
trifle in size; at other times in thickness or in their ornamental flourishes.
Later, Lord Bacon is believed to have had two Roman alphabets specially
prepared in which the differences were so trivial that it is almost impossible
for experts to distinguish them.
A careful inspection of the first four "Shakespeare" folios discloses the use
throughout the volumes of several styles of type differing in minute but
distinguishable details. It is possible that all the "Shakespeare" folios contain
ciphers running through the text. These ciphers may have been added to the
original plays, which are much longer in the folios than in the original
quartos, full scenes having been added in some instances.
The biliteral cipher was not confined to the writings of Bacon and
"Shakespeare," however, but appears in many books published during Lord
Bacon's lifetime and for nearly a century after his b death. In referring to the
biliteral cipher, Lord Bacon terms it omnia per omnia. The cipher may run
through an entire book and be placed therein at the time of printing without
the knowledge of the original author, for it does not necessitate the changing
of either words or punctuation. It is possible that this cipher was inserted for
political purposes into many documents and volumes published during the
seventeenth century. It is well known that ciphers were used for the same
reason as early as the Council of Nica.
The Baconian biliteral cipher is difficult to use today, owing to the present
exact standardization of type and the fact that so few books are now hand
set. Accompanying this chapter are facsimiles of Lord Bacon's biliteral
alphabet as it appeared in the 1640 English translation of De Augmentis
Scientiarum. There are four alphabets, two for the capital and two for the
small letters. Consider carefully the differences between these four and note
that each alphabet has the power of either the letter a or the letter b, and that
when reading a word its letters are divisible into one of two groups: those
which correspond to the letter a and those which correspond to the letter b.
In order to employ the biliteral cipher, a document must contain five times
as many letters as there are in the cipher message to be concealed, for it
requires five letters to conceal one. The biliteral cipher somewhat resembles
a telegraph code in which letters are changed into dots and dashes; according
to the biliteral system, however, the dots and dashes are represented
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
respectively by a's and b's. The word biliteral is derived from the fact that all
letters of the alphabet may be reduced to either a or b. An example of
biliteral writing is shown in one of the accompanying diagrams. In order to
demonstrate the working of this cipher, the message concealed within the
words "Wisdom and understanding are more to be desired than riches" will
now be deciphered.
The first step is to discover [he letters of each alphabet and replace them by
their equivalent a or b in accordance with the key given by Lord Bacon in
his biliteral alphabet (q.v.). In the word wisdom, the W is from the b
alphabet; therefore it is replaced by a b. The i is from the a alphabet;
therefore an a is put in its place. The s is also from the a alphabet, but the d
belongs to the b alphabet. The o and the m both belong to the a alphabet is
replaced by a. By this process the word WISDOM become baabaa. Treating
the remaining words of the sentence in a similar manner, AND becomes
aba; UNDERSTANDING, aaabaaaaaabab; ARE, aba; MORE, abbb; TO,
ab; BE, ab; DESIRED, abaabaa; THAN, aaba; RICHES, aaaaaa.
At this point the inquirer might reasonably expect the letters to make
intelligible words; but he will very likely be disappointed, for, as in the case
above, the letters thus extracted are themselves a cryptogram, doubly
involved to discourage those who might have a casual acquaintance with the
biliteral system. The next step is to apply the nine letters to what is
commonly called a wheel (or disc) cipher (q.v.), which consists of two
alphabets, one revolving around the other in such a manner that numerous
723
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
transpositions of letters are possible. In the accompanying cut the A of the
inner alphabet
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
725
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
THE BILITERAL ALPHABET
is opposite the H of the outer alphabet, so that for cipher purposes these
letters are interchangeable. The F and M, the P, and Y, the W and D, in fact
all the letters, may be transposed as shown by the two circles. The nine
letters extracted by the biliteral cipher may thus be exchanged for nine
others by the wheel cipher. The nine letters are considered as being on the
inner circle of the wheel and are exchanged for the nine letters on the outer
circle which are opposite the inner letters. By this process the T becomes A;
the two E's become two L's; the B becomes I, the L becomes S; the P
becomes W; the X becomes E; and the two E's become two L's. The result is
ALLISWELL, which, broken up into words, reads: "All is well."
Of course, by moving the inner disc of the wheel cipher, many different
combinations in addition to the one given above can be made of the letters,
but this is the only one which will produce sense, and the cryptogrammatist
must keep on experimenting until he discovers a logical and intelligible
message. He may then feel reasonably sure that he has deciphered the
system. Lord Bacon involved the biliteral cipher in many different ways.
There are probably a score of different systems used in the "Shakespeare"
folio alone, some so intricate that they may forever baffle all attempts at
their decipherment. In those susceptible of solution, sometimes the a's and
b's have to be exchanged; at other times the concealed message is written
backwards; again only every other letter is counted; and so on.
There are several other forms of the literal cipher in which letters are
substituted for each other by a prearranged sequence. The simplest form is
that in which two alphabets are written thus:
A B C D E F G H I K L M N
Z Y X W U T S R Q P O N M
O P Q R S T U W X Y Z
L K I H G F E D C B A
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
By substituting the letters of the lower alphabet for their equivalents in the
upper one, a meaningless conglomeration results, the hidden message being
decoded by reversing the process. There is also a form of the literal cipher in
which the actual cryptogram is written in the body of the document, but
unimportant words are inserted between important ones according to a
prearranged order. The literal cipher also includes what are called acrostic
signatures--that is, words written down the column by the use of the first
letter of each line and also more complicated acrostics in which the
important letters are scattered through entire paragraphs or chapters. The two
accompanying alchemical cryptograms illustrate another form of the literal
cipher involving the first letter of each word. Every cryptogram based upon
the arrangement or combination of the letters of the alphabet is called a
literal cipher.
2. The pictorial cipher. Any picture or drawing with other than its obvious
meaning may be considered a pictorial cryptogram. Instances of pictorial
cipher are frequently found in Egyptian symbolism and early religious art.
The diagrams of alchemists and Hermetic philosophers are invariably
pictorial ciphers. In addition to the simple pictorial cipher, there is a more
technical form in which words or letters are concealed by the number of
stones in a wall, by the spread of birds' wings in flight, by ripples on the
surface of water, or by the length and order of lines used in shading. Such
cryptograms are not obvious, and must be decoded with the aid of an
arbitrary measuring scale, the length of the lines determining the letter or
word concealed. The shape and proportion of a building, the height of a
tower, the number of bars in a window, the folds of a man's garments--even
the proportions or attitude of the human body--were used to conceal definite
figures or characters which could be exchanged for letters or words by a
person acquainted with the code.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
much-discussed fifth finger on the Pope's hand in Raphael's Sistine Madonna
and the sixth toe on Joseph's foot in the same artist's Marriage of the Virgin
are cunningly concealed cryptograms.
The acroamatic cipher is the most subtle of all, for the parable or allegory is
susceptible of several interpretations. Bible students for centuries have been
confronted by this difficultly. They are satisfied with the moral interpretation
of the parable and forget that each parable and allegory is capable of seven
interpretations, of which the seventh--the highest--is complete and all-
inclusive, whereas the other six (and lesser) interpretations are fragmentary,
revealing but part of the mystery. The creation myths of the world are
acroamatic cryptograms, and the deities of the various pantheons are only
cryptic characters which, if properly understood, become the constituents of
a divine alphabet. The initiated few comprehend the true nature of this
alphabet, but the uninitiated many worship the letters of it as gods.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
AN ALCHEMICAL CRYPTOGRAM
AN ALCHEMICAL CRYPTOGRAM
Beginning with the word VISITA and reading clockwise, the seven initial letters of the seven words
inscribed in the outer circle read: VITRIOL. This is a very simple alchemical enigma, but is a reminder
that those studying works on Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, alchemy, and Freemasonry should always be
on the lookout for concealed meanings hidden either in Parables and allegories or in cryptic arrangements
of numbers, letters, and words.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The second Circle is divided into three parts by two sets of two horizontal lines. The upper and light section
is called the Supreme Region and is the abode of the gods, the good spirits, and the heroes. The lower and
dark section is the abode of lust, sin, and ignorance. Between these two extremes is the larger section in
which are blended the powers and impulses of both the superior and the inferior regions.
In the third or inner circle is man, a tenfold creature, consisting of nine parts--three of spirit, three of
intellect, and three of soul--enclosed within one constitution. According to Selenus, man's three spiritual
qualities are thought, speech, and action; his three intellectual qualities are memory, intelligence, and will;
and his three qualities of soul are understanding, courage, and desire. The third circle is further divided
into three parts called ages: the Golden Age of spiritual truth in the upper right section, the Iron Age of
spiritual darkness in the lower right section and the Bronze Age--a composite of the two occupying the
entire left half of the inner circle and itself divided into three parts. The lowest division of the Bronze Age
depicts ignorant man controlled by force, the central the partly awakened man controlled by jurisprudence,
and the upper the spiritually illuminated man controlled by love. Both the second and third circles revolve
upon the axis of law, but the divine source, of law--Heavenly Justice--is concealed by clouds. All of the
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
symbols and figures ornamenting the plate are devoted to a detailed amplification of the principles here
outlined.
The most simple numerical cipher is that in which the letters of the alphabet
are exchanged for numbers in ordinary sequence. Thus A becomes 1, B 2, C
3, and so on, counting both I and J as 9 and both U and V as 20. The word
yes by this system would be written 23-5-18. This cipher can be made more
difficult by reversing the alphabet so that Z becomes 1, Y 2, X 3, and so on.
By inserting a non-significant, or uncounted, number after each of the
significant numbers the cipher is still more effectively concealed, thus: 23-
16-5-9-18. The word yes is found by eliminating the second and fourth
numbers. By adding 23, 5, and 18 together the sum 46 results. Therefore 46
is the numerical equivalent of the word yes. According to the simple
numerical cipher, the sum 138 is equal to the words Note carefully.
Therefore in a book using this method, line 138, page 138, or paragraph 138
may contain the concealed message. In addition to this simple numerical
cipher there are scores of others so complicated that no one without the key
can hope to solve them.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
being from a considerably smaller font than the "8." The 189th page is
entirely missing, there being two pages numbered 187; and page 188 shows
the second " 8 " scarcely more than half the size of the first one. Page 289 is
correctly numbered and has no unusual features, but page 89 of the Histories
is missing. Several volumes published by Bacon show similar errors, page
89 being often involved.
There are also numerical ciphers from which the cryptic message may be
extracted by counting every tenth word, every twentieth word, or every
fiftieth word. In some cases the count is irregular. The first important word
may be found by counting 100, the second by counting 90, the third by
counting 80, and so on until the count of 10 is reached. The count then
returns to 100 and the process is repeated.
6. The arbitrary cipher. The system of exchanging letters of the alphabet for
hieroglyphic figures is too easily decoded to be popular. Albert: Pike
describes an arbitrary cipher based upon the various parts of the Knights
Templars' cross, each angle representing a letter. The many curious
alphabets that have been devised are rendered worthless, however, by the
table of recurrence. According to Edgar Allan Poe, a great cryptogrammatist,
the most common letter of the English language is E, the other letters in their
order of frequency are as follows: A, O, I, D, H, N, R, S, T, V, Y, C, F, Q L,
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
M, W, B, K, P, Q, X, Z. Other authorities declare the table of frequency to be:
E, T, A, O, N, I, R, S, H, D, L, C, W, U, M, F, Y, G, P, B, V, K, X, Q, J, Z. By
merely counting the number of times each character appears in the message,
the law of recurrence discloses the English letter for which the arbitrary
character stands. Further help is also rendered by the fact that if the
cryptogram be split up into words there are only three single letters which
may form words: A, I, O. Thus any single character set off from the rest of
the text must be one of these three letters. For details of this System see The
Gold Bug, by Edgar Allan Poe.
7. The code cipher. The most modem form of cryptogram is the code
system. Its most familiar form is the Morse code for use in telegraphic and
wireless communication. This form of cipher may be complicated somewhat
by embodying dots and dashes into a document in which periods and colons
are dots, while commas and semicolons are dashes. There are also codes
used by the business world which can be solved only by the use of a private
code book. Because they furnish an economical and efficient method of
transmitting confidential information, the use of such codes is far more
prevalent than the average person has any suspicion.
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chemistry, biology, astronomy, botany, and physiology. Ciphers of this
nature can only be decoded by individuals versed in the deep philosophic
principles upon which these medival mystics based their theories of life.
Much information relating to the invisible nature of man is concealed under
what seem to be chemical experiments or scientific speculations. Every
student of symbolism and philosophy, therefore, should be reasonably well
acquainted with the underlying principles of cryptography; in addition to
serving him well in his researches, this art furnishes a fascinating method of
developing the acuteness of the mental faculties. Discrimination and
observation are indispensable to the seeker after knowledge, and no study is
equal to cryptography as a means of stimulating these powers.
734
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
QABBALISTIC AND MAGIC ALPHABETS.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Freemasonic Symbolism
IN several early Masonic manuscripts--for example, the Harleian, Sloane,
Lansdowne, and Edinburgh-Kilwinning--it is stated that the craft of initiated
builders existed before the Deluge, and that its members were employed in
the building of the Tower of Babel. A Masonic Constitution dated 1701
gives the following naive account of the origin of the sciences, arts, and
crafts from which the major part of Masonic symbolism is derived:
"How this worthy Science was first begunne, I shall tell. Before Noah's
Flood, there was a man called Lameck as it is written in the 4 Chap. of Gen.:
and this Lameck had two Wives. The one was called Adah, and the other
Zillah; by the first wife Adah he gott two Sons, the one called Jaball, and the
other Juball, and by the other wife Zillah he got a Son and Daughter, and the
four children found the beginning of all Crafts in the world. This Jaball was
the elder Son, and he found the Craft of Geometric, and he parted flocks, as
of Sheep and Lambs in the fields, and first wrought Houses of Stone and
Tree, as it is noted in the Chap, aforesaid, and his Brother Juball found the
crafte of Musick, of Songs, Organs and Harp. The Third Brother [Tubal-
cain] found out Smith's craft to work Iron and steel, and their sister Naamah
found out the art of Weaving. These children did know thatt God would take
Vengeance for Sinne, either by fire or water, wherefor they wrote these
Sciences which they had found in Two Pillars of stone, thatt they might be
found after the Flood. The one stone was called Marbell--cannott burn with
Fire, and the other was called Laturus [brass?], thatt cannott drown in the
Water." The author of this Constitution there upon declares that one of these
pillars was later discovered by Hermes, who communicated to mankind the
secrets thereon inscribed.
In his Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus writes that Adam had forewarned his
descendants that sinful humanity would be destroyed by a deluge. In order to
preserve their science and philosophy, the children of Seth there fore raised
two pillars, one of brick and the other of stone, on which were inscribed the
keys to their knowledge. The Patriarch Enoch--whose name means the
Initiator--is evidently a personification of the sun, since he lived 365 years.
He also constructed an underground temple consisting of nine vaults, one
beneath the other, placing in the deepest vault a triangular tablet of gold
bearing upon it the absolute and ineffable Name of Deity. According to
some accounts, Enoch made two golden deltas. The larger he placed upon
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the white cubical altar in the lowest vault and the smaller he gave into the
keeping of his son, Methuseleh, who did the actual construction work of the
brick chambers according to the pattern revealed to his father by the Most
High. In the form and arrangement of these vaults Enoch epitomized the
nine spheres of the ancient Mysteries and the nine sacred strata of the earth
through which the initiate must pass to reach the flaming Spirit dwelling in
its central core.
John Leylande was appointed by King Henry VIII to go through the archives
of the various religious institutions dissolved by the king and remove for
preservation any books or manuscripts of an important character. Among the
documents copied by Leylande was a series of questions and answers
concerning the mystery of Masonry written by King Henry VI. In answer to
the question, "How came Masonry into England?" the document States that
Peter Gower, a Grecian, traveled for knowledge in Egypt, Syria, and every
land where the Phnicians had planted Masonry; winning entrance in all
lodges of Masons, he learned much, and returning, dwelt in Greater Greece.
He became renowned for his wisdom, formed a great lodge at Groton, and
made many Masons, some of whom journeyed in France, spreading
Masonry there; from France in the course of time the order passed into
England.
To even the superficial student of the subject it must be evident that the
name of Peter Gower, the Grecian, is merely an Anglicized form of
Pythagoras; consequently Groton, where he formed his lodge, is easily
identified with Crotona. A link is thus established between the philosophic
Mysteries of Greece and medival Freemasonry. In his notes on King
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Henry's questions and answers, William Preston enlarges upon the vow of
secrecy as it was practiced by the ancient initiates. On the authority of Pliny
he describes how Anaxarchus, having been imprisoned in order to extort
from him some of the secrets with which he had been entrusted, bit out his
own tongue and threw it in the face of Nicocreon, the tyrant of Cyprus.
Preston adds that the Athenians revered a brazen statue that was represented
without a tongue to denote the sanctity with which they regarded their oath-
bound secrets. It is also noteworthy that, according to King Henry's
manuscript, Masonry had its origin in the East and was the carrier of the arts
and sciences of civilization to the primitive humanity of the western nations.
Conspicuous among the symbols of Freemasonry are the seven liberal arts
and sciences. By grammar man is taught to express in noble and adequate
language his innermost thoughts and ideals; by rhetoric he is enabled to
conceal his ideals under the protecting cover of ambiguous language and
figures of speech; by logic he is trained
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"Since nature has designed the human body so that its members are duly proportioned to the frame as a
whole, it appears that the ancients had good reason for their rule, that in perfect building the different
members must be in exact symmetrical relations to the whole general scheme. Hence, while transmitting to
us the proper arrangements for buildings of all kinds, they were particularly careful to do so in the case of
temples of the gods, buildings in which merits and faults usually last forever. * * * Therefore, if it is agreed
that number was found out from the human fingers, and that there is a symmetrical correspondent between
the members separately and the entire form of the body, in accordance with a certain part selected as
standard, we can have nothing but respect for those who, in constructing temples of the immortal gods,
have so arranged the members of the works that both the separate parts and the whole design may
harmonize in their proportions and symmetry." (See The Ten Books on Architecture)
By some it is believed that St. Paul was initiated into the Dionysiac Mysteries, for in the tenth verse of the
third chapter of First Corinthians he calls himself a "master-builder" or adept: "According to the grace of
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
God which is given into me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth
thereon. " As survivals of the ancient Dionysiac rites, the two diagrams of Cesariano, accompanying this
chapter are of incalculable value to the modern mystic architect.
The most celebrated of the ancient fraternities of artisans was that of the
Dionysiac Architects. This organization was composed exclusively of
initiates of the Bacchus-Dionysos cult and was peculiarly consecrated to the
science of building and the art of decoration. Acclaimed as being the
custodians of a secret and sacred knowledge of architectonics, its members
were entrusted with the design and erection of public buildings and
monuments. The superlative excellence of their handiwork elevated the
members of the guild to a position of surpassing dignity; they were regarded
as the master craftsmen of the earth. Because of the first dances held in
honor of Dionysos, he was considered the founder and patron of the theater,
and the Dionysians specialized in the construction of buildings adapted for
the presentation of dramatic performances. In the circular or semicircular
orchestra they invariably erected an altar to schylus, the famous Greek
poet, that while appearing in one of his own plays he was suspected by a
mob of angry spectators of revealing one of the profound secrets of the
Mysteries and was forced to seek refuge at the altar of Dionysos.
So carefully did the Dionysiac Architects safeguard the secrets of their craft
that only fragmentary records exist of their esoteric teachings. John A.
Weisse thus sums up the meager data available concerning the order:
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
"They made their appearance certainly not later than 1000 B.C., and appear
to have enjoyed particular privileges and immunities. They also possessed
secret means of recognition, and were bound together by special ties only
known to themselves. The richer of this fraternity were bound to provide for
their poorer brethren. They were divided into communities, governed by a
Master and Wardens, and called (connected houses). They held a
grand festival annually, and were held in high esteem. Their ceremonials
were regarded as sacred. It has been claimed that Solomon, at the instance of
Hiram, King of Tyre, employed them at his temple and palaces. They were
also employed at the construction of the Temple of Diana at Ephesus. They
had means of intercommunication all over the then known world, and from
them, doubtless, sprang the guilds of the Traveling Masons known in the
Middle Ages." (See The Obelisk and Freemasonry.)
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
eighth, and with the neck and shoulder from the top of the breast to the
lowest roots of the hair is a sixth; from the middle of the breast to the
summit of the crown is a fourth. If we take the height of the face itself, the
distance from the bottom of the chin to the under side of the nostrils [and
from that point] to a line between the eyebrows is the same; from there to the
lowest roots of the hair is also a third, comprising the forehead. The length
of the foot is one sixth of the height of the body; of the forearm, one fourth;
and the breadth of the breast is also one fourth. The other members, too,
have their own symmetrical proportions, and it was by employing them that
the famous painters and sculptors of antiquity attained to great and endless
renown."
742
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
so constructed because it was in no respect at variance with any existing
reality would not be subject to dissolution but would endure throughout the
span of mortal time. As a logical deduction from their philosophic trend of
thought, such a building--en rapport with Cosmos--would also have become
an oracle. Certain early works on magical philosophy hint that the Ark of the
Covenant was oracular in character because of specially prepared chambers
in its interior. These by their shape and arrangement were so attuned to the
vibrations of the invisible world that they caught and amplified the voices of
the ages imprinted upon and eternally existent in the substance of the astral
light.
743
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
will be an appropriate combination of the severity of the Doric and the
delicacy of the Corinthian."
The checkerboard floor upon which the modern Freemasonic lodge stands is
the old tracing board of the Dionysiac Architects, and while the modern
organization is no longer limited to workmen's guilds it still preserves in its
symbols the metaphysical doctrines of the ancient society of which it is
presumably the outgrowth. The investigator of the origin of Freemasonic
symbolism who desires to trace the development of the order through the
ages will find a practical suggestion in the following statement of Charles
W. Heckethorn:
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
"But considering that Freemasonry is a tree the roots of which spread
through so many soils, it follows that traces thereof must be found in its
fruit; that its language and ritual should retain much of the various sects and
institutions it has passed through before arriving at their present state, and in
Masonry we meet with Indian, Egyptian, Jewish, and Christian ideas, terms
therefrom the supreme ambition of their craft and symbols." (See The Secret
Societies of All Ages and Countries.)
Aside from the operative aspect of their order, the Dionysiac Architects had
a speculative philosophic code. Human society they considered as a rough
and untrued ashlar but lately chiseled from the quarry of elemental Nature.
This crude block was the true object upon which these skilled craftsmen
labored--polishing it, squaring it, and with the aid of fine carvings
transforming it into a miracle of beauty. While mystics released their souls
from the bondage of matter by meditation and philosophers found their
keenest joy in the profundities of thought, these master workmen achieved
liberation from the Wheel of Life and Death by learning to swing their
hammers with the same rhythm that moves the swirling forces of Cosmos.
They venerated the Deity under the guise of a Great Architect and Master
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Craftsman who was ever gouging rough ashlars from the fields of space and
truing them into universes. The Dionysians affirmed constructiveness to be
the supreme expression of the soul, and attuning themselves with the ever-
visible constructive natural processes going on around them, believed
immortality could be achieved by thus becoming a part of the creative
agencies of Nature.
The second symbolic temple is the human body-the Little House made in the
image of the Great Universal House. "Know ye not," asked the Apostle Paul,
"that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"
Freemasonry within a temple of stone cannot be other than speculative, but
Freemasonry within the living temple of the body is operative. The third
symbolic temple is the Soular House, an invisible structure, the
comprehension of which is a supreme Freemasonic arcanum. The mystery of
this intangible edifice is concealed under the allegory of the Soma
Psuchicon, or Wedding Garment described by St. Paul, the Robes of Glory
of the High Priest of Israel, the Yellow Robe of the Buddhist monk, and the
Robe of Blue and Gold to which Albert Pike refers in his Symbolism. The
soul, constructed from an invisible fiery substance, a flaming golden metal,
is cast by the Master Workman, CHiram Abiff, into the mold of clay (the
physical body) and is called the Molten Sea. The temple of the human soul is
built by three Master Masons personifying Wisdom, Love, and Service, and
746
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
when constructed according to the Law of Life the spirit of God dwells in
the Holy Place thereof. The Soular Temple is the true Everlasting House,
and he who can raise
"The Logos or soul of the world, according to Plato, the Greek Hermes, and the Christ, according to the
Christian Gnostics, are all one and the same as the Hebrew Adam Kadmon, who is the second person of the
cabalistic triad. The Cyllenian Hermes, described by Hippolytus, so exactly resembles the lesser man found
in Cesariano's edition of Vitruvius, that they may be justifiably considered to be identical."
After relating the figure to Dionysus because of the vine leaves wound in the hair, the same writer
concludes: "Here we have clearly and distinctly a curious survival of the cosmic deity of Greece, copied
and disfigured by the crude draughtsmen of the Middle Ages, but faithfully preserved, and recognizable to
the last." Similar figures are to be found in Agrippa's De Occulta Philosophia. Like Cesariano's diagrams,
however, the key given for their interpretation is most inadequate. Agrippa declares that, being a type of
the lesser world, man contains in himself all numbers, measures, weights, motions, and elements. The
secret doctrine of Freemasonry, like that of the Dionysiac Architects, is concerned primarily with the effort
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
to measure or estimate philosophically the parts and proportions of the microcosm, so that by the
knowledge derived therefrom the supreme ambition of their craft might be realized--the creation of a
perfect man.
"No one journeys now 'from the high place of Cabaon to the threshing floor
of Oman the Yebusite,' nor has seen, 'his Master, clothed in blue and gold;'
nor are apprentices and Fellow-crafts any longer paid at their respective
Columns; nor is the Master's working tool the Tracing Board, nor does he
use in his work 'Chalk, Charcoal, and an Earthen Vessel,' nor does the
Apprentice, becoming a Fellow Craft, pass from the square to the compass;
for the meanings of these phrases as symbols have long been lost."
"The pseudo-Clement of Rome, writes: 'God made man male and female.
The male is Christ: the female, the Church.' The Qabbalists called the Holy
Spirit, the mother, and the Church of Israel, the Daughter. Solomon
engraved on the walls of his Temple, likenesses of the male and female
principles, to adumbrate this mystery; such, it is said, were the figures of the
cherubim. This was, however, not in obedience to the words of the Thorah.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
They were symbolical of the Upper, the spiritual, the former or maker,
positive or male, and the Lower, the passive, the negative or female, formed
or made by the first."
Masonry came to Northern Africa and Asia Minor from the lost continent of
Atlantis, not under its present name but rather under the general designation
Sun and Fire Worship. The ancient Mysteries did not cease to exist when
Christianity became the world's most powerful religion. Great Pan did not
die! Freemasonry is the proof of his survival. The pre-Christian Mysteries
simply assumed the symbolism of the new faith, perpetuating through its
emblems and allegories the same truths which had been the property of the
wise since the beginning of the world. There is no true explanation,
therefore, for Christian symbols save that which is concealed within pagan
philosophy. Without the mysterious keys carried by the hierophants of the
Egyptian, Brahmin, and Persian cults the gates of Wisdom cannot be
opened. Consider with reverent spirit, therefore, the sublime allegory of the
Temple and its Builders, realizing that beneath its literal interpretation lies
hidden a Royal Secret.
"Now the sagacity and wisdom which God had bestowed on Solomon was
so great that he exceeded the ancients, in so much that he was no way
inferior to the Egyptians, who are said to have been beyond all men in
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
understanding; * * * God also enabled him to learn that skill which expelled
demons, which is a science useful and sanative to him. He composed such
incantations also by which distempers are alleviated. And he left behind him
the manner of using exorcisms, by which they drive away demons, so that
they never return; and this method of cure is of great force unto this day."
The medival alchemists were convinced that King Solomon understood the
secret processes of Hermes by means of which it was possible to multiply
metals. Dr. Bacstrom writes that the Universal Spirit (CHiram) assisted King
Solomon to build his temple, because Solomon being wise in the wisdom of
alchemy knew how to control this incorporeal essence and, setting it to work
for him, caused the invisible universe to supply him with vast amounts of
gold and silver which most people believed were mined by natural methods.
The mysteries of the Islamic faith are now in the keeping of the dervishes--
men who, renouncing worldliness, have withstood the test of a thousand and
one days of temptation. Jelal-ud-din, the great Persian Sufic poet and
philosopher, is accredited with having founded the Order of Mevlevi, or the
"dancing dervishes," whose movements exoterically signify the motions of
the celestial bodies and esoterically result in the establishment of a rhythm
which stimulates the centers of spiritual consciousness within the dancer's
body.
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The Axis is a mysterious individual who, unknown and unsuspected, mingles
with mankind and who, according to tradition, has his favorite seat upon the
roof of the Caaba. J. P. Brown, in The Dervishes, gives a description of these
"Master Souls."
Though the temples of Thebes and Karnak be now but majestic heaps of
broken and time-battered stone, the spirit: of Egyptian philosophy still
marches triumphant through the centuries. Though the rock-hewn
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
sanctuaries of the ancient Brahmins be now deserted and their carvings
crumbled into dust, still the wisdom of the Vedas endures. Though the
oracles be silenced and the House of the Mysteries be now but rows of
ghostly columns, still shines the spiritual glory of Hellas with luster
undiminished. Though Zoroaster, Hermes, Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle
are now but dim memories in a world once rocked by the transcendency of
their intellectual genius, still in the mystic temple of Freemasonry these god-
men live again in their words and symbols; and the candidate, passing
through the initiations, feels himself face to face with these illumined
hierophants of days long past.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Mystic Christianity
THE true story of the life of Jesus of Nazareth has never been unfolded to
the world, either in the accepted Gospels or in the Apocrypha, although a
few stray hints may be found in some of the commentaries written by the
ante-Nicene Fathers. The facts concerning His identity and mission are
among the priceless mysteries preserved to this day in the secret vaults
beneath the "Houses of the Brethren." To a few of the Knights Templars,
who were initiated into the arcana of the Druses, Nazarenes, Essenes,
Johannites, and other sects still inhabiting the remote and inaccessible
fastnesses of the Holy Land, part of the strange story was told. The
knowledge of the Templars concerning the early history of Christianity was
undoubtedly one of the main reasons for their persecution and final
annihilation. The discrepancies in the writings of the early Church Fathers
not only are irreconcilable, but demonstrate beyond question that even
during the first five centuries after Christ these learned men had for the basis
of their writings little more substantial than folklore and hearsay. To the easy
believer everything is possible and there are no problems. The unemotional
person in search of facts, however, is confronted by a host of problems with
uncertain factors, of which the following are typical:
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
to receive baptism); and, (according to these men,) He preached only one
year reckoning from His baptism. On completing His thirtieth year He
suffered, being in fact still a young man, and who had by no means attained
to advanced age. Now, that the first stage of early life embraces thirty years,
and that this extends onward to the fortieth year, every one will admit; but
from the fortieth and fiftieth year a man begins to decline towards old age,
which Our Lord possessed while He still fulfilled the office of a Teacher,
even as the Gospel and all the elders testify; those who were conversant in
Asia with John, the disciple of the Lord, (affirming) that John conveyed to
them that information. And he remained among them up to the time of
Trajan. Some of them, moreover, saw not only John, but the other apostles
also, and heard the very same account from them, and bear testimony as to
the'(validity of) the statement. Whom then should we rather believe?
Whether such men as these, or Ptolemus, who never saw the apostles, and
who never even in his dreams attained to the slightest trace of an apostle?"
"And when we say also that the Word, who is the first-birth of God, was
produced without sexual union, and that He, Jesus Christ, Our Teacher, was
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
crucified and died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, we propound
nothing different from what you believe regarding those whom you esteem
sons of Jupiter. * * * And if we assert that the Word of God was born of God
in a peculiar manner, different from ordinary generation, let this, as said
above, be no extraordinary thing to you, who say that Mercury is the angelic
word of God. But if any one objects that He was crucified, in this also He is
on a par with those reputed sons of Jupiter of yours, who suffered as we
have now enumerated."
From this it is evident that the first missionaries of the Christian Church
were far more willing to admit the similarities between their faith and the
faiths of the pagans than were their successors in later centuries.
"But Jehovah prospered the seed of the Essenians, in holiness and love, for
many generations. Then came the chief of the angels, according to the
commandment of GOD, to raise up an heir to the Voice of Jehovah. And, in
four generations more, an heir was born, and named Joshua, and he was the
child of Joseph and Mara, devout worshippers of Jehovah, who stood aloof
from all other people save the Essenians. And this Joshua, in Nazareth,
reestablished Jehovah, and restored many of the lost rites and ceremonies. In
the thirty-sixth year of his age he was stoned to death in Jerusalem * * *"
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
While it is probable that the Order of the Round Table had its distinctive rituals and symbols, the
knowledge of them has not survived the ages. Elias Ashmole, in his volume on the Order of the Garter,
inserted a double-page plate showing the insignia of all the orders of knighthood, the block set aside for the
symbol of the Round Table being left blank. The chief reason for the loss of the symbolism of the Round
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Table was the untimely death of King Arthur upon the field of Kamblan (A.D. 542) in the forty-first year of
his life. While he destroyed his bitter enemy, Mordred, in this famous battle, it cast him not only his own
life but the lives of nearly all his Knights of the Round Table, who died defending their commander.
Within the last century several books have been published to supplement the
meager descriptions in the Gospels of Jesus and His ministry. In some
instances these narratives claim to be founded upon early manuscripts
recently discovered; in others, upon direct spiritual revelation. Some of these
writings are highly plausible, while others are incredible. There are
persistent rumors that Jesus visited and studied in both Greece and India, and
that a coin struck in His honor in India during the first century has been
discovered. Early Christian records are known to exist in Tibet, and the
monks of a Buddhist monastery in Ceylon still preserve a record which
indicates that Jesus sojourned with them and became conversant with their
philosophy.
George Faber declares the original name of Jesus was Jescua Hammassiah.
Godfrey Higgins has discovered two references, one in the Midrashjoholeth
and the other in the Abodazara (early Jewish commentaries on the
Scriptures), to the effect that the surname of Joseph's family was Panther,
for in both of these works it is stated that a man was healed "in the name of
Jesus ben Panther." The name Panther establishes a direct connection
between Jesus and Bacchus--who was nursed by panthers and is sometimes
depicted riding either on one of these animals or in a chariot drawn by them.
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The skin of the panther was also sacred in certain of the Egyptian initiatory
ceremonials. The monogram IHS, now interpreted to mean Iesus Hominum
Salvator (Jesus Savior of Men), is another direct link between the Christian
and the Bacchic rites. IHS is derived from the Greek , which, as its
numerical value (608) signifies, is emblematic of the sun and constituted the
sacred and concealed name of Bacchus. (See The Celtic Druids by Godfrey
Higgins.) The question arises, Was early Roman Christianity confused with
the worship of Bacchus because of the numerous parallelisms in the two
faiths? If the affirmative can be proved, many hitherto incomprehensible
enigmas of the New Testament will be solved.
One of the most profound doctrines of the pagan philosophers concerned the
Universal Savior-God who lifted the souls of regenerated men to heaven
through His own nature. This concept was unquestionably the inspiration for
the words attributed to Jesus: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father but by me." In an effort to make a single person out
of Jesus and His Christos, Christian writers have patched together a doctrine
which must be resolved back into its original constituents if the true meaning
of Christianity is to be rediscovered. In the Gospel narratives the Christos
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represents the perfect man who, having passed through the various stages of
the "World Mystery" symbolized by the thirty-three years, ascends to the
heaven sphere where he is reunited with his Eternal Father. The story of
Jesus as now preserved is--like the Masonic story of Hiram Abiff--part of a
secret initiatory ritualism belonging to the early Christian and pagan
Mysteries.
During the centuries just prior to the Christian Era, the secrets of the pagan
Mysteries had gradually fallen into the hands of the profane. To the student
of comparative religion it is evident that these secrets, gathered by a small
group of faithful philosophers and mystics, were reclothed in new
symbolical garments and thus preserved for several centuries under the name
of Mystic Christianity. It is generally supposed that the Essenes were the
custodians of this knowledge and also the initiators and educators of Jesus. If
so, Jesus was undoubtedly initiated in the same temple of Melchizedek
where Pythagoras had studied six centuries before.
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The Essenes never became merchants or entered into the commercial life of
cities, but maintained themselves by agriculture and the raising of sheep for
wool; also by such crafts as pottery and carpentry. In the Gospels and
Apocrypha, Joseph, the father of Jesus, is referred to as both a carpenter and
a potter. In the Apocryphal Gospel of Thomas and also that of Pseudo-
Matthew, the child Jesus is described as making sparrows out of clay which
came to life and flew away when he clapped his hands. The Essenes were
regarded as among the better educated class of Jews and there are accounts
of their having been chosen as tutors for the children of Roman officers
stationed in Syria. The fact that so many artificers were listed among their
number is responsible for the order's being considered as a progenitor of
modern Freemasonry. The symbols of the Essenes include a number of
builders' tools, and they were secretly engaged
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evil of it). St. George is looked upon as the Patron of the order, for he typifies the higher nature of man
overcoming the dragon of his own lower nature. While St. George is supposed to have lived during the
third century, it is probable that he was a mythological personage borrowed from pagan mythology.
Like the Gnostics, the Essenes were emanationists. One of their chief objects
was the reinterpretation of the Mosaic Law according to certain secret
spiritual keys preserved by them from the time of the founding of their
order. It would thus follow that the Essenes were Qabbalists and, like several
other contemporary sects flourishing in Syria, were awaiting the advent of
the Messiah promised in the early Biblical writings. Joseph and Mary, the
parents of Jesus, are believed to have been members of the Essene Order.
Joseph was many years the senior of Mary. According to The
Protevangelium, he was a widower with grown sons, and in the Gospel of
Pseudo-Matthew he refers to Mary as a little child less in age than his own
grandchildren. In her infancy Mary was dedicated to the Lord, and the
Apocryphal writings contain many accounts of miracles associated with her
early childhood. When she was twelve years old, the priests held counsel as
to the future of this child who had dedicated herself to the Lord, and the
Jewish high priest, bearing the breastplate, entered into the Holy of Holies,
where an angel appeared to him, saying, "Zacharias, go forth and summon
the widowers of the people and let them take a rod apiece and she shall be
the wife of him to whom the Lord shall show a sign." Going forth to meet
the priests at the head of the widowers, Joseph collected the rods of all the
other men and gave them into the keeping of the priests. Now Joseph's rod
was but half as long as the others, and the priests on returning the rods to the
widowers paid no attention to Joseph's but left it behind in the Holy of
Holies. When all the other widowers had received back their wands, the
priests awaited a sign from heaven, but none came. Joseph, because of his
advanced age, did not: ask for the return of his rod, for to him it was
inconceivable that he should be chosen. But an angel appeared to the high
priest, ordering him to give back the short rod which lay unnoticed in the
Holy of Holies. As the high priest handed the rod to Joseph, a white dove
flew from the end of it and rested upon the head of the aged carpenter, and to
him was given the child.
The editor of The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East calls
attention to the peculiar spirit with which the childhood of Jesus is treated in
most of the Apocryphal books of the New Testament, particularly in one
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work attributed to the doubting Thomas, the earliest known Greek version of
which dates from about A.D. 200: "The child Christ is represented almost as
an imp, cursing and destroying those who annoy him." This Apocryphal
work, calculated to inspire its readers with fear and trembling, was popular
during the Middle Ages because it was in full accord with the cruel and
persecuting spirit of medival Christianity. Like many other early sacred
books, the book of Thomas was fabricated for two closely allied purposes:
first, to outshine the pagans in miracle working; second, to inspire all
unbelievers with the "fear of the Lord." Apocryphal writings of this sort
have no possible basis in fact. At one time an asset, the "miracles" of
Christianity have become its greatest liability. Supernatural phenomena, in a
credulous age interpolated to impress the ignorant, in this century have only
achieved the alienation of the intelligent.
Stories like the foregoing represent the incrustations that have attached
themselves to the body of Christianity during the centuries. The popular
mind itself has been the self-appointed guardian and perpetuator of these
legends, bitterly opposing every effort to divest the faith of these
questionable accumulations. While popular tradition often contains certain
basic elements of truth, these elements are usually distorted out of all
proportion. Thus, while the generalities of the story may be fundamentally
true, the details are hopelessly erroneous. Of truth as of beauty it may be
said that it is most adorned when unadorned. Through the mist of fantastic
accounts which obscure the true foundation of the Christian faith is faintly
visible to the discerning few a great and noble doctrine communicated to the
world by a great and noble soul. Joseph and Mary, two devout and holy-
minded souls, consecrated to the service of God and dreaming of the coming
of a Messiah to serve Israel, obeyed the injunctions of the high priest of the
Essenes to prepare a body for the coming of a great soul. Thus of an
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immaculate conception Jesus was born. By immaculate is meant clean,
rather than supernatural.
Jesus was reared and educated by the Essenes and later initiated into the
most profound of their Mysteries. Like all great initiates, He must travel in
an easterly direction, and the silent years of His life no doubt were spent in
familiarizing Himself with that secret teaching later to be communicated by
Him to the world. Having consummated the ascetic practices of His order,
He attained to the Christening. Having thus reunited Himself with His own
spiritual source, He then went forth in the name of the One who has been
crucified since before the worlds were and, gathering about Him disciples
and apostles, He instructed them in that secret teaching which had been lost-
-in part, at least--from the doctrines of Israel. His fate is unknown, but in all
probability He suffered that persecution which is the lot of those who seek to
reconstruct the ethical, philosophical, or religious systems of their day.
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THE ARTHURIAN CYCLE AND LEGEND OF THE HOLY GRAIL
According to legend, the body of the Christos (the Spiritual Law) was given
into the keeping of two men, of whom the Gospels make
Jakob Bhme was born in the year 1575 in a village near Gorlitz, and died in Silesia in 1624. He had but
little schooling and was apprenticed at an early age to a shoemaker. He later became a journeyman
shoemaker, married and had four children One day while tending his master's shoe shop, a mysterious
stranger entered who while he seemed to possess but little of this world's goods, appeared to be most wise
and noble in spiritual attainment. The stranger asked the price of a pair of shoes, but young Bhme did not
dare to name a figure, for fear that he would displease his master. The stranger insisted and Bhme finally
placed a valuation which he was all that his master possibly could hope to secure for the shoes. The
stranger immediately bought them and departed. A short distance down the street the mysterious stranger
stopped and cried out in a loud voice, "Jakob, Jakob come forth." In amazement and fright, Bhme ran out
of the house. The strange man fixed his yes upon the youth--great eyes which sparkled and seemed filled
with divine light. He took the boy's right hand and addressed him as follows--"Jakob, thou art little, but
shalt be great, and become another Man, such a one as at whom the World shall wonder. Therefore be
pious, fear God, and reverence His Word. Read diligently the Holy Scriptures, wherein you have Comfort
and Instruction. For thou ust endure much Misery and Poverty, and suffer Persecution, but be courageous
and persevere, far God loves, and is gracious to thee." Deeply impressed by the prediction, Bhme became
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ever more intense in his search for truth. At last his labors were reworded. For seven days he remained in
a mysterious condition during which time the mysteries of the invisible world were revealed to him. It has
been said of Jakob Bhme that he revealed to all mankind the deepest secrets of alchemy. He died
surrounded by his family, his last words being "Now I go hence into Paradise."
but brief mention. These were Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, both
devout men who, though not listed among the disciples or apostles of the
Christos, were of all men chosen to be custodians of His sacred remains.
Joseph of Arimathea was one of the initiated brethren and is called by A. E.
Waite, in his A New Encyclopdia of Freemasonry, "the first bishop of
Christendom." just as the temporal (or visible) power of the Holy See was
established by St. Peter(?), so the spiritual (or invisible) body of the faith
was entrusted to the "Secret Church of the Holy Grail" through apostolic
succession from Joseph of Arimathea, into whose keeping had been given
the perpetual symbols of the covenant--the ever-flowing cup and the
bleeding spear.
The origin of the Grail myth, as of nearly every other element in the great
drama, is curiously elusive. Sufficient foundation for it may be found in the
folklore of the British Isles, which contains many accounts of magic
cauldrons, kettles, cups, and drinking horns. The earliest Grail legends
describe the cup as a veritable horn of plenty. Its contents were inexhaustible
and those who served it never hungered or thirsted. One account states that
no matter how desperately ill a person might be he could not die within eight
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days of beholding the cup. Some authorities believe the Holy Grail to be the
perpetuation of the holy cup used in the rites of Adonis and Atys. A
communion cup or chalice was used in several of the ancient Mysteries, and
the god Bacchus is frequently symbolized in the form of a vase, cup, or urn.
In Nature worship the ever-flowing Grail signifies the bounty of the harvest
by which the life of man is sustained; like Mercury's bottomless pitcher, it is
the inexhaustible fountain of natural re source. From the evidence at hand it
would indeed be erroneous to ascribe a purely Christian origin to the Grail
symbolism.
Arthur while an infant was given into the keeping of Merlin, the Mage, and
in his youth instructed by him in the secret doctrine and probably initiated
into the deepest secrets of natural magic. With Merlin's assistance, Arthur
became the leading general of Britain, a degree of dignity which has been
confused with kingship. After Arthur had drawn the sword of Branstock
from the anvil and thus established his divine right to leadership, Merlin
further assisted him to secure from the Lady of the Lake the sacred sword
Excalibur. After the establishment of the Round Table, having fulfilled his
duty, Merlin disappeared, according to one account vanishing into the air,
where he still exists as a shadow communicating at will with mortals;
according to another, retiring of his own accord into a great stone vault
which he sealed from within.
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It is reasonably certain that many legends regarding Charlemagne were later
associated with Arthur, who is most famous for establishing the Order of the
Round Table at Winchester. Reliable information is not to be had concerning
the ceremonies and initiatory rituals of the "Table Round." In one story the
Table was endowed with the powers of expansion and contraction so that
fifteen or fifteen hundred could be seated around it, according to whatever
need might arise. The most common accounts fix the number of knights who
could be seated at one time at the Round Table at either twelve or twenty-
four. The twelve signified the signs of the zodiac and also the apostles of
Jesus. The knights' names and also their heraldic arms were emblazoned
upon their chairs. When twenty-four are shown seated at the Table, each of
the twelve signs of the zodiac is divided into two parts--a light and a dark
half--to signify the nocturnal and diurnal phases of each sign. As each sign
of the zodiac is ascending for two hours every day, so the twenty-four
knights represent the hours, the twenty-four elders before the throne in
Revelation, and twenty-four Persian deities who represent the spirits of the
divisions of the day. In the center of the Table was the symbolic rose of the
Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the symbol of resurrection in that He
"rose" from the dead. There was also a mysterious empty seat called the
Siege Perilous in which none might sit except he who was successful in his
quest for the Holy Grad.
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Arthur was probably interred at Glastonbury Abbey, a building closely
identified with the mystic rites of both the Grail and the Arthurian Cycle.
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whenever they are united, it symbolizes a, harmonious blending of both principles. The circular nimbus is
solar and masculine, while the lozenge-shaped nimbus, or vesica piscis, is lunar and feminine. The same
symbolism is preserved in the circular and lozenge-shaped windows of cathedrals. There is a complete
science contained in the shape, color, and adornments of the halos of saints and martyrs. A plain golden
ring usually surrounds the head of a canonized saint, while God the Father and God the Son have a far
more ornate aureole, usually adorned with a St. George Cross, a flowered cross, or a lilied cross, with only
three of the arms visible.
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Seth, following the directions of his father, discovered the Garden of Eden
without difficulty. The angel who guarded the gate permitted him to enter,
and in the midst of the garden Seth beheld a great tree, the branches of
which reached up to heaven. The tree was in the form of a cross, and stood
on the brink of a precipice which led downward into the depths of hell.
Among the roots of the tree he saw the body of his brother Cain, held
prisoner by the entwining limbs. The angel refused to give Seth the Oil of
Mercy, but presented him instead with three seeds from the Tree of Life
(some say the Tree of Knowledge). With these Seth returned to his father,
who was so overjoyed that he did not desire to live longer. Three days later
he died, and the three seeds were buried in his mouth, as the angel had
instructed. The seeds became a sapling with three trunks in one, which
absorbed into itself the blood of Adam, so that the life of Adam was in the
tree. Noah dug up this tree by the roots and took it with him into the Ark.
After the waters subsided, he buried the skull of Adam under Mount
Calvary, and planted the tree on the summit of Mount Lebanon.
Moses beheld a visionary being in the midst of this tree (the burning bush)
and from it cut the magical rod with which he was able to bring water out of
a stone. But because he failed to call upon the Lord the second time he
struck the rock, he was not permitted to carry the sacred staff into the
Promised Land; so he planted it in the hills of Moab. After much searching,
King David discovered the tree; and his son, Solomon, tried to use it for a
pillar in his Temple, but his carpenters could not cut it so that it would fit; it
was always either too long or too short. At last, disgusted, they cast it aside
and used it for a bridge to connect Jerusalem with the surrounding hills.
When the Queen of Sheba came to visit King Solomon she was expected to
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walk across this bridge. Instead, when she beheld the tree, she refused to put
her foot upon it, but, after kneeling and praying, removed her sandals and
forded the stream. This so impressed King Solomon that he ordered the log
to be overlaid with golden places and placed above the door of his Temple.
There it remained until his covetous grandson stole the gold, and buried the
tree so that the crime would not be discovered.
From the ground where the tree was buried there immediately bubbled forth
a spring of water, which became known as Bethesda. To it the sick from all
Syria came to be healed. The angel of the pool became the guardian of the
tree, and it remained undisturbed for many years. Eventually the log floated
to the surface and was used as a bridge again, this time between Calvary and
Jerusalem; and over it Jesus passed to be crucified. There was no wood on
Calvary; so the tree was cut into two parts to serve as the cross upon which
the Son of Man was crucified. The cross was set up at the very spot where
the skull of Adam had been buried. Later, when the cross was discovered by
the Empress Helena, the wood was found to be of four different varieties
contained in one tree (representing the elements), and thereafter the cross
continued to heal all the sick who were permitted to touch it.
The prevalent idea that the reverence for the cross is limited to the Christian
world is disproved by even the most superficial investigation of its place in
religious symbolism. The early Christians used every means possible to
conceal the pagan origin of their symbols, doctrines, and rituals. They either
destroyed the sacred books of other peoples among whom they settled, or
made them inaccessible to students of comparative philosophy, apparently
believing that in this way they could stamp out all record of the pre-Christian
origin of their doctrines. In some cases the writings of various ancient
authors were tampered with, passages of a compromising nature being
removed or foreign material interpolated. The supposedly spurious passage
in Josephus concerning Jesus is an example adduced to illustrate this
proclivity.
Prior to the Christian Era seven hundred thousand of the most valuable
books, written upon parchment, papyrus, vellum, and wax, and also tablets
of stone, terra cotta, and wood, were gathered from all parts of the ancient
world and housed in Alexandria, in buildings specially prepared for the
purpose. This magnificent repository of knowledge was destroyed by a
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series of three fires. The parts that escaped the conflagration lighted by
Csar to destroy the fleet in the harbor were destroyed about A.D. 389 by
the Christians in obedience to the edict of Theodosius, who had ordered the
destruction of the Serapeum, a building sacred to Serapis in which the
volumes were kept. This conflagration is supposed to have destroyed the
library that Marcus Antonius had presented to Cleopatra to compensate in
part for that burned in the fire of the year 51.
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Not only is the cross itself a familiar object in the art of all nations, but the
veneration for it is an essential part of the religious life of the greater part of
humanity. It is a common symbol among the American Indians--North,
Central, and South. William W. Seymour states: "The Aztec goddess of rain
bore a cross in her hand, and the Toltecs claimed that their deity,
Quetzalcoatl, taught them the sign and ritual of the cross, hence his staff, or
sceptre of power, resembled a crosier, and his mantle was covered with red
crosses." (The Cross in Tradition, History and Art.)
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The cross is also highly revered by the Japanese and Chinese. To the
Pythagoreans the most sacred of all numbers was the 10, the symbol of
which is an X, or cross. In both the Japanese and Chinese languages the
character of the number 10 is a cross. The Buddhist wheel of life is
composed of two crosses superimposed, and its eight points are still
preserved to Christendom in the peculiarly formed cross of the Knights
Templars, which is essentially Buddhistic. India has preserved the cross, not
only in its carvings and paintings, but also in its architectonics; a great
number of its temples--like the churches and cathedrals of Christendom--are
raised from cruciform foundations.
On the mandalas of the Tibetans, heaven is laid out in the form of a cross,
with a demon king at each of the four gates. A remarkable cross of great
antiquity was discovered in the island caves of Elephanta in the harbor of
Bombay. Crosses of various kinds were favorite motifs in the art of Chaldea,
Phnicia, Egypt, and Assyria. The initiates of the Eleusinian Mysteries of
Greece were given a cross which they suspended about their necks on a
chain, or cord, at the time of initiation. To the Rosicrucians, Alchemists, and
Illuminati, the cross was the symbol of light, because each of the three letters
L V X is derived from some part of the cross.
There are three distinct forms of the cross. The first is called the TAU (more
correctly the TAV). It closely resembles the modern letter T, consisting of a
horizontal bar resting on a vertical column, the two arms being of equal
length. An oak tree cut off some feet above the ground and its upper part laid
across the lower in this form was the symbol of the Druid god Hu. It is
suspected that this symbol originated among the Egyptians from the spread
of the horns of a bull or ram (Taurus or Aries) and the vertical line of its
face. This is sometimes designated as the hammer cross, because if held by
its vertical base it is not unlike a mallet or gavel. In one of the Qabbalistic
Masonic legends, CHiram Abiff is given a hammer in the form of a TAU by
his ancestor, Tubal-cain. The TAU cross is preserved to modern Masonry
under the symbol of the T square. This appears to be the oldest form of the
cross extant.
The TAU cross was inscribed on the forehead of every person admitted into
the Mysteries of Mithras. When a king was initiated into the Egyptian
Mysteries, the TAU was placed against his lips. It was tattooed upon the
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bodies of the candidates in some of the American Indian Mysteries. To the
Qabbalist, the TAU stood for heaven and the Pythagorean tetractys. The
Caduceus of Hermes was an outgrowth of the TAU cross. (See Albert Pike.)
Concerning the association of this symbol with the waters of life, Count
Goblet d'Alviella, in his Migration of Symbols, calls attention to the fact that
an instrument resembling the Crux Ansata and called the Nilometer was used
by the ancient Egyptians for measuring and regulating the inundations of the
river Nile. It is probable that this relationship to the Nile caused it to be
considered the symbol of life, for Egypt depended entirely upon the
inundations of this river for the irrigation necessary to insure sufficient
crops. In the papyrus scrolls the Crux Ansata is shown issuing from the
mouths of Egyptian kings when they pardoned enemies, and it was buried
with them to signify the immortality of the soul. It was carried by many of
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the gods and goddesses and apparently signified their divine benevolence
and life-giving power. The Cairo Museum contains a magnificent collection
of crosses of many shapes, sizes, and designs, proving that they were a
common symbol among the Egyptians.
The third form of the cross is the familiar Roman or Greek type, which is
closely associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, although it is
improbable that the cross used resembled its more familiar modern form.
There are unlimited sub-varieties of crosses, differing in the relative
proportions of their vertical and horizontal sections. Among the secret orders
of different generations we find compounded crosses, such as the triple TAU
in the Royal Arch of Freemasonry and the double and triple crosses of both
Masonic and Roman Catholic symbolism.
To the Christian the cross has a twofold significance. First, it is the symbol
of the death of his Redeemer, through whose martyrdom he feels that he
partakes of the glory of God; secondly, it is the symbol of humility, patience,
and the burden of life. It is interesting that the cross should be both a symbol
of life and a symbol of death. Many nations deeply considered the
astronomical aspect of religion, and it is probable that the Persians, Greeks,
and Hindus looked upon the cross as a symbol of the equinoxes and the
solstices, in the belief that at certain seasons of the year the sun was
symbolically crucified upon these imaginary celestial angles.
The fact that so many nations have regarded their Savior as a personification
of the sun globe is convincing evidence that the cross must exist as an
astronomical element in pagan allegory. Augustus Le Plongeon believed that
the veneration for the cross was partly due to the rising of a constellation
called the Southern Cross, which immediately preceded the annual rains, and
as the natives of those latitudes relied wholly upon these rains to raise their
crops, they viewed the cross as an annual promise of the approaching
storms, which to them meant life.
There are four basic elements (according to both ancient philosophy and
modern science), and the ancients represented them by the four arms of the
cross, placing at the end of each arm a mysterious Qabbalistic creature to
symbolize the power of one of these elements. Thus, they symbolized the
element of earth by a bull; water by a scorpion, a serpent, or an eagle; fire by
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a lion; and air by a human head surrounded by wings. It is significant that
the four letters inscribed upon parchment (some say wood) and fastened to
the top of the cross at the time of the crucifixion should be the first letters of
four Hebrew words which stand for the four elements: "Iammin, the sea or
water; Nour, fire; Rouach, the air; and Iebeschah, the dry earth." (See
Morals and Dogma, by Albeit Pike.)
The material of which the cross was formed was looked upon as being an
essential element in its symbolism. Thus, a golden cross symbolized
illumination; a silver cross, purification; a cross of base metals, humiliation;
a cross of wood, aspiration. The fact that
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That the Crux Ansata migrated to many parts of the earth is proved by the fact that it was sculptured upon
the back of at least one of the mysterious stone figures found on Easter Island in the south Pacific. The
statue in question--one of the smallest in the group--was brought to London by a sailing ship, and is now in
the British Museum; the Crux Ansata on the reverse side is plainly visible.
among many nations it was customary to spread the arms in prayer has
influenced the symbolism of the cross, which, because of its shape, has come
to be regarded as emblematic of the human body. The four major divisions
of the human structure--bones, muscles, nerves, and arteries--are considered
to have contributed to the symbolism of the cross. This is especially due to
the fact that the spinal nerves cross at the base of the spine, and is a reminder
that "Our Lord was crucified also in Egypt."
Man has four vehicles (or mediums) of expression by means of which the
spiritual Ego contacts the external universe: the physical nature, the vital
nature, the emotional nature, and the mental nature. Each of these partakes in
principle of one of the primary elements, and the four creatures assigned to
them by the Qabbalists caused the cross to be symbolic of the compound
nature of man.
Saviors unnumbered have died for the sins of man and by the hands of man,
and through their deaths have interceded in heaven for the souls of their
executioners. The martyrdom of the God-Man and the redemption of the
world through His blood has been an essential tenet of many great religions.
Nearly all these stories can be traced to sun worship, for the glorious orb of
day is the Savior who dies annually for every creature within his universe,
but year after year rises again victorious from the tomb of winter. Without
doubt the doctrine of the crucifixion is based upon the secret traditions of the
Ancient Wisdom; it is a constant reminder that the divine nature of man is
perpetually crucified upon the animal organism. Certain of the pagan
Mysteries included in the ceremony of initiation the crucifixion of the
candidate upon a cross, or the laying of his body upon a cruciform altar. It
has been claimed that Apollonius of Tyana (the Antichrist) was initiated into
the Arcanum of Egypt in the Great Pyramid, where he hung upon a cross
until unconscious and was then laid in the tomb (the coffer) for three days.
While his body was unconscious, his soul was thought to pass into the
realms of the immortals (the place of death) After it had vanquished death
(by recognizing that life is eternal) it returned again to the body, which then
rose from the coffer, after which he was hailed as a brother by the priests,
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who believed that he had returned from the land of the dead. This concept
was, in substance, the teaching of the Mysteries.
The list of the deathless mortals who suffered for man that he might receive
the boon of eternal life is an imposing one. Among those connected
historically or allegorically with a crucifixion are Prometheus, Adonis,
Apollo, Arys, Bacchus, Buddha, Christna, Horus, Indra, Ixion, Mithras,
Osiris, Pythagoras, Quetzalcoatl, Semiramis, and Jupiter. According to the
fragmentary accounts extant, all these heroes gave their lives to the service
of humanity and, with one or two exceptions, died as martyrs for the cause
of human progress. In many mysterious ways the manner of their death has
been designedly concealed, but it is possible that most of them were
crucified upon a cross or tree. The first friend of man, the immortal
Prometheus, was crucified on the pinnacle of Mount Caucasus, and a vulture
was placed over his liver to torment him throughout eternity by clawing and
rending his flesh with its talons. Prometheus disobeyed the edict of Zeus by
bringing fire and immortality to man, so for man he suffered until the
coming of Hercules released him from his ages of torment.
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The East Indian equivalent of Christ is the immortal Christna, who, sitting in
the forest playing his flute, charmed the birds and beasts by his music. It is
supposed that this divinely inspired Savior of humanity was crucified upon a
tree by his enemies, but great care has been taken to destroy any evidence
pointing in that direction. Louis Jacolliot, in his book The Bible in India,
thus describes the death of Christna: "Christna understood that the hour had
come for him to quit the earth, and return to the bosom of him who had sent
him. Forbidding his disciples to follow him, he went, one day, to make his
ablutions on the banks of the Ganges * * *. Arriving at the sacred river, he
plunged himself three times therein, then, kneeling, and looking to heaven,
he prayed, expecting death. In this position he was pierced with arrows by
one of those whose crimes he had unveiled, and who, hearing of his journey
to the Ganges, had, with generation. a strong troop, followed with the design
of assassinating him * * *. The body of the God-man was suspended to the
branches of a tree by his murderer, that it might become the prey of vultures.
News of the death having spread, the people came in a crowd conducted by
Ardjouna, the dearest of the disciples of Christna, to recover his sacred
remains. But the mortal frame of the redeemer had disappeared--no doubt it
had regained the celestial abodes * * * and the tree to which it had been
attached had become suddenly covered with great red flowers and diffused
around it the sweetest perfume." Other accounts of the death of Christna
declare that he was tied to a cross-shaped tree before the arrows were aimed
at him.
The existence in Moor's The Hindu Pantheon of a plate of Christna with nail
wounds in his hands and feet, and a plate in Inman's Ancient Faiths showing
an Oriental deity with what might well be a nail hole in one of his feet,
should be sufficient motive for further investigation of this subject by those
of unbiased minds. Concerning the startling discoveries which can be made
along these lines, J. P. Lundy in his Monumental Christianity presents the
following information: "Where did the Persians get their notion of this
prophecy as thus interpreted respecting Christ, and His saving mercy and
love displayed on the cross? Both by symbol and actual crucifix we see it on
all their monuments. If it came from India, how did it get there, except from
the one common and original centre of all primitive and pure religion? There
is a most extraordinary plate, illustrative of the whole subject, which
representation I believe to be anterior to Christianity. It is copied from
Moor's Hindu Pantheon, not as a curiosity, but as a most singular monument
of the crucifixion. I do not venture to give it a name, other than that of a
crucifixion in space. * * * Can it be the Victim-Man, or the Priest and
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Victim both in one, of the Hindu mythology, who offered himself a sacrifice
before the worlds were? Can it be Plato's second God who impressed
himself on the universe in the form of the cross? Or is it his divine man who
would be scourged, tormented, fettered, have his eyes burnt out; and lastly,
having suffered all manner of evils, would be crucified? Plato learned his
theology in Egypt and the East, and must have known of the crucifixion of
Krishna, Buddha, Mithra [et al]. At any rate, the religion of India had its
mythical crucified victim long anterior to Christianity,
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Both the cross and the circle were phallic symbols, for the ancient world venerated the generative powers
of Nature as being expressive of the creative attributes of the Deity. The Crux Ansata, by combining the
masculine TAU with the feminine oval, exemplified the principles of generation.
APOLLONIUS OF TYANA
as a type of the real one [Pro Deo et Ecclesia!], and I am inclined to think
that we have it in this remarkable plate."
The modern world has been misled in its attitude towards the so-called
pagan deities, and has come to view them in a light entirely different from
their true characters and meanings. The ridicule and slander heaped by
Christendom upon Christna and Bacchus are excellent examples of the
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
persecution of immortal principles by those who have utterly failed to sense
the secret meaning of the allegories. Who was the crucified man of Greece,
concerning whom vague rumors have been afloat? Higgins thinks it was
Pythagoras, the true story of whose death was suppressed by early Christian
authors because it conflicted with their teachings. Was it true also that the
Roman legionaries carried on the field of battle standards upon which were
crosses bearing the crucified Sun Man?
One of the most remarkable of the crucified World Saviors is the Central
American god of the winds, or the Sun, Quetzalcoatl, concerning whose
activities great secrecy was maintained by the Indian priests of Mexico and
Central America. This strange immortal, whose name means feathered
snake, appears to have come out of the sea, bringing with him a mysterious
cross. On his garments were embellished clouds and red crosses. In his
honor, great serpents carved from stone were placed in different parts of
Mexico.
The cross of Quetzalcoatl became a sacred symbol among the Mayas, and
according to available records the Maya Indian angels had crosses of various
pigments painted on their foreheads. Similar crosses were placed over the
eyes of those initiated into their Mysteries. When Cortez arrived in Mexico,
he brought with him the cross. Recognizing this, the natives believed that he
was Quetzalcoatl returned, for the latter had promised to come back in the
infinite future and redeem his people.
In Anacalypsis, Godfrey Higgins throws some light on the cross and its
symbolism in America: "The Incas had a cross of very fine marble, or
beautiful jasper, highly polished, of one piece, three-fourths of an ell in
length, and three fingers in width and thickness. It was kept in a sacred
chamber of a palace, and held in great veneration. The Spaniards enriched
this cross with gold and jewels, and placed it in the cathedral of Cuzco.
Mexican temples are in the form of a cross, and face the four cardinal points.
Quexalcoatl is represented in the paintings of the Codex Borgianus nailed to
the cross. Sometimes even the two thieves are there crucified with him. In
Vol. II. plate 75, the God is crucified in the Heavens, in a circle of nineteen
figures, the number of the Metonic cycle. A serpent is depriving him of the
organs of generation. In the Codex Borgianus, (pp. 4, 72, 73, 75,) the
Mexican God is represented crucified and nailed to the cross, and in another
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
place hanging to it, with a cross in his hands. And in one instance, where the
figure is not merely outlined, the cross is red, the clothes are coloured, and
the face and hands quite black. If this was the Christianity of the German
Nestorius, how came he to teach that the crucified Savior was black? The
name of the God who was crucified was Quexalcoatl.
The crucifixion of the Word in space, the crucifixion of the dove often seen
in religious symbolism--both of these are reminders of pagan
overshadowing. The fact that a cross is formed by the spread wings of a bird
in relation to its body is no doubt one of the reasons why the Egyptians used
a bird to symbolize the immortal nature of man, and often show it hovering
over the mummified body of the dead and carrying in one of its claws the
sign of life and in the other the sign of breath.
The three nails of the Passion have found their way into the symbolism of
many races and faiths. There are many legends concerning these nails. One
of these is to the effect that originally there were four nails, but one was
dematerialized by a Hebrew Qabbalist and magician just as they were about
to drive it through the foot of the Master. Hence it was necessary to cross the
feet. Another legend relates that one of the nails was hammered into a crown
and that it still exists as the imperial diadem of a European house. Still
another story has it that the bit on the bridle of Constantine's horse was a
Passion nail. It is improbable, however, that the nails were made of iron, for
at that time it was customary to use sharpened wooden pegs. Hargrave
Jennings, in his Rosicrucians, Their Rites and Mysteries, calls attention to
the fact that the mark or sign used in England to designate royal property
and called the broad arrow is nothing more nor less than the three nails of
the crucifixion grouped together, and that by placing them point to point the
ancient symbol of the Egyptian TAU cross is formed.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
C. W. King, in his Gnostics and Their Remains, thus describes a Gnostic
gem: "The Gnostic Pleroma, or combination of all the ons [is] expressed
by the outline of a man holding a scroll * * *. The left hand is formed like
three bent spikes or nails; unmistakably the same symbol that Belus often
holds in his extended hand on the Babylonian cylinders, afterwards
discovered by the Jewish Cabalists in the points of the letter Shin, and by the
medival mystics in o the Three Nails of the Cross." From this point
Hargrave Jennings continues King's speculations, noting the resemblance of
the nail to an obelisk, or pillar, and that the Qabbalistic value of the Hebrew
letter Shin, or Sin, is 300, namely, 100 for each spike.
The driving of the nails and the flow of blood and water from the wounds
were symbolic of certain secret philosophic practices of the Temple. Many
of the Oriental deities have mysterious symbols on the hands and feet. The
so-called footprints of Buddha are usually embellished with a magnificent
sunburst at the point where the nail pierced the foot of Christ.
In his notes on the theology of Jakob Bhme, Dr. Franz Hartmann thus sums
up the mystic symbolism of the crucifixion: "The cross represents terrestrial
life, and the crown of thorns the sufferings of the soul within the elementary
body, but also the victory of the spirit over the elements of darkness. The
body is naked, to indicate that the candidate for immortality must divest
himself of all desires for terrestrial things. The figure is nailed to the cross,
which symbolizes the death and surrender of the self-will, and that it should
not attempt to accomplish anything by its own power, but merely serve as an
instrument wherein the Divine will is executed. Above the head are
inscribed the letters: I. N. R. J. whose most important meaning is: In Nobis
Regnat Jesus (Within ourselves reigns Jesus). But this signification of this
inscription can be practically known only to those who have actually died
relatively to the world of desires, and risen above the temptation for personal
existence; or, to express it in other words, those who have become alive in
Christ, and in whom thus the kingdom of Jesus (the holy love-will issuing
from the heart of God) has been established." One of the most interesting
interpretations of the crucifixion allegory is that which identifies the man
Jesus with the personal consciousness of the individual. It is this personal
consciousness that conceives of and dwells in the sense of separateness, and
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
before the aspiring soul can be reunited with the ever-present and all-
pervading Father this personality must be sacrificed that the Universal
Consciousness may be liberated.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
"It was a focus of the universal 'secret' doctrines; the weird laboratory
whence, fashioned in elegant Grecian phraseology, sprang the quintessence
of Buddhistic, Zoroastrian, and Chaldean philosophy. Artemis, the gigantic
concrete symbol of theosophico-pantheistic abstractions, the great mother
Multimamma, androgyne and patroness of the 'Ephesian writings,' was
conquered by Paul; but although the zealous converts of the apostles
pretended to burn all their books on 'curious arts, , enough of
these remained for them to study when their first zeal had cooled off." (See
Isis Unveiled.)
Being a great center of pagan learning, Ephesus has been the locale for many
early Christian myths. The assertion has been made that it was the last
domicile of the Virgin Mary; also that the tomb of St. John the Divine was
located there. According to legend, St. John did not depart from this life in
the usual manner but, selecting his vault, entered it while still alive, and
closing the entrance behind him, vanished forever from mortal sight. A
rumor was current in ancient Ephesus that St. John would sleep in his tomb
until the return of the Savior, and that when the apostle turned over on his
sepulchral couch the earth above moved like the coverlets of a bed.
Subjected to more criticism than any other book now incorporated in the
New Testament, the Apocalypse--popularly accredited to St. John the
Divine--is by far the most important but least understood of the Gnostic
Christian writings. Though Justin Martyr declared the Book of Revelation to
have been written by "John, one of Christ's apostles," its authorship was
disputed as early as the second century after Christ. In the third century these
contentions became acute and even Dionysius of Alexandria and Eusebius
attacked the Johannine theory, declaring that both the Book of Revelation
and the Gospel according to St. John were written by one Cerinthus, who
borrowed the name of the great apostle the better to foist his own doctrines
upon the Christians. Later Jerome questioned the authorship of the
Apocalypse and during the Reformation his objections were revived by
Luther and Erasmus. The once generally accepted notion that the Book of
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Revelation was the actual record of a "mystical experience" occurring to St.
John while that seer was an exile in the Isle of Parmos is now regarded with
disfavor by more critical scholars. Other explanations have therefore been
advanced to account for the symbolism permeating the volume and the
original motive for its writing. The more reasonable of these theories may be
summed up as follows:
First, upon the weight of evidence furnished by its own contents the Book of
Revelation may well be pronounced a pagan writing--one of the sacred
books of the Eleusinian or Phrygian Mysteries. As a corollary, the real
author of a work setting forth the profundities of Egyptian and Greek
mysticism must have been an initiate himself and consequently obligated to
write only in the symbolic language of the Mysteries.
Third, the theory has been advanced that the Book of Revelation represents
the attempt made by the unscrupulous members of a certain religious order
to undermine the Christian Mysteries by satirizing their philosophy. This
nefarious end they hoped to attain by showing the new faith to be merely a
restatement of the ancient pagan doctrines, by heaping ridicule upon
Christianity, and by using its own symbols toward its disparagement. For
example, the star which fell to earth (Rev. viii. 10-11) could be construed to
mean the Star of Bethlehem, and the bitterness of that star (called
Wormwood and which poisoned mankind) could signify the "false"
teachings of the Christian Church. While the last theory has gained a certain
measure of popularity, the profundity of the Apocalypse leads the discerning
reader to the inevitable conclusion that this is the least plausible of the three
hypotheses. To those able to pierce the veil of its symbolism, the inspired
source of the document requires no further corroborative evidence.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
In the final analysis, true philosophy can be limited by neither creed nor
faction; in fact it is incompatible with every artificial limitation of human
thought. The question of the pagan or Christian origin of the Book of
Revelation is, consequently, of little importance. The intrinsic value of the
book lies in its magnificent epitome of the Universal Mystery--an
observation which led St. Jerome to declare that it is susceptible of seven
entirely different interpretations. Untrained in the reaches of ancient thought,
the modem theologian cannot possibly cope with the complexities of the
Apocalypse, for to him this mystic writing is but a phantasmagoria the
divine inspiration of which he is sorely tempted to question. In the limited
space here available it is possible to sketch but briefly a few of the salient
features of the vision of the seer of Patmos. A careful consideration of the
various pagan Mysteries will assist materially also in filling the inevitable
gaps in this abridgment.
In the opening chapter of the Apocalypse, St. John describes the Alpha and
Omega who stood in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. Surrounded
by his flaming planetary regents, this Sublime One thus epitomizes in one
impressive and mysterious figure the entire sweep of humanity's
evolutionary growth--past, present, and future.
"The first stages of man's earthly development," writes Dr. Rudolph Steiner,
"ran their course at a period when the earth was still 'fiery'; and the first
human incarnations were formed out of the element of fire; at the end of his
earthly career man will himself radiate his inner being outwards creatively
by the force of the element of fire. This continuous development from the
beginning to the end of the earth reveals itself to the 'seer,' when he sees on
the astral plane the archetype of evolving man. * * * The beginning of
earthly evolution stands forth in the fiery feet, its end in the fiery
countenance, and the complete power of the 'creative word,' to be finally
won, is seen in the fiery source coming out of the mouth." (See Occult Seals
and Columns.)
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
relationship of the various parts of the Alpha and Omega to the seven sacred
planets of the ancients. To quote:
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The seven stars carried by this immense Being in his right hand are the
Governors of the world; the flaming sword issuing from his mouth is the
Creative Fiat, or Word of Power, by which the illusion of material
permanence is slain. Here also is represented, in all his symbolic splendor,
the hierophant of the Phrygian Mysteries, his various insignia emblematic of
his divine attributes. Seven priests bearing lamps are his attendants and the
stars carried in his hand are the seven schools of the Mysteries whose power
he administers. As one born again out of spiritual darkness, into perfect
wisdom, this archimagus is made to say: "I am he that liveth, and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive forever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of
death."
In the second and third chapters St. John delivers to the "seven churches
which are in Asia" the injunctions received by him from the Alpha and
Omega. The churches are here analogous to the rungs of a Mithraic ladder,
and John, being "in the spirit," ascended through the orbits of the seven
sacred planets until he reached the inner surface of the Empyrean.
"After the soul of the prophet," writes the anonymous author of Mankind:
Their Origin and Destiny, "in his ecstatic state has passed in its rapid flight
through the seven spheres, from the sphere of the moon to that of Saturn, or
from the planet which corresponds to Cancer, the gate of men, to that of
Capricorn, which is the gate of the gods, a new gate opens to him in the
highest heaven, and in the zodiac, beneath which the seven planets revolve;
in a word, in the firmament, or that which the ancients called crystallinum
primum, or the crystal heaven."
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Alpha and Omega are the first and the last. A difference of opinion exists as
to the order in which the seven planers should be related to the churches.
Some proceed from the hypothesis that Saturn represents the church of
Ephesus; but from the fact that this city was sacred to the moon goddess and
also that the sphere of the moon is the first above that of the earth, the
planets obviously should ascend in their ancient order from the moon to
Saturn. From Saturn the soul would naturally ascend through the door in the
Empyrean.
In the fourth and fifth chapters St. John describes the throne of God upon
which sat the Holy One "which was and is, and is to come." About the
throne were twenty-four lesser seats upon which sat twenty-four elders
arrayed in white garments and wearing crowns of gold. "And out of the
throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were
seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of
God." He who sat upon the throne held in His right hand a book sealed with
seven seals which no man in heaven or earth had been found worthy to open.
Then appeared a Lamb (Aries, the first and chief of the zodiacal signs)
which had been slain, having seven horns (rays) and seven eyes (lights). The
Lamb took the book from the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne and
the four beasts and all the elders fell down and worshiped God and the
Lamb. During the early centuries of the Christian Church the lamb was
universally recognized as the symbol of Christ, and not until after the fifth
synod of Constantinople (the "Quinisext Synod," A.D. 692) was the figure
of the crucified man substituted for that of Agnus Dei. As shrewdly noted by
one writer on the subject, the use of a lamb is indicative of the Persian origin
of Christianity, for the Persians were the only people to symbolize the first
sign of the zodiac by a lamb.
Because a lamb was the sin offering of the ancient pagans, the early mystic
Christians considered this animal as an appropriate emblem of Christ, whom
they regarded as the sin offering of the world. The Greeks and the Egyptians
highly venerated the lamb or ram, often placing its horns upon the foreheads
of their gods. The Scandinavian god Thor carried a hammer made from a
pair of ram's horns. The lamb is used in preference to the ram apparently
because of its purity and gentleness; also, since the Creator Himself was
symbolized by Aries, His Son would consequently be the little Ram or
Lamb. The lambskin apron worn by the Freemasons over that part of the
body symbolized by Typhon or Judas represents that purification
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The plate also contains a number of other symbols, including episodes from the destruction of the world
and the crystal sea pouring forth from the throne of God. By the presentation of such symbolic conceptions
in the form of rituals and dramatic episodes the secrets of the Phrygian Mysteries were perpetuated. When
these sacred pageantries were thus revealed to all mankind indiscriminately and each human soul was
appointed it own initiator into the holy rite, of the philosophic life, a boon was conferred upon humanity
which cannot be fully appreciated until men and women have grown more responsive to those mysteries
which are of the spirit.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
third seal was broken there rode forth a man upon a black horse and with a
pair of balances in his hand. And when the fourth seal was broken there rode
forth Death upon a pale horse and hell followed after him. The four
horsemen of the Apocalypse may be interpreted to signify the four main
divisions of human life. Birth is represented by the rider on the white horse
who comes forth conquering and to conquer; the impetuosity of youth by the
rider on the red horse who took peace from the earth; maturity by the rider
on the black horse who weighs all things in the scales of reason; and death
by the rider on the pale horse who was given power over a fourth part of the
earth. In the Eastern philosophy these horsemen signify the four yugas, or
ages, of the world which, riding forth at: their appointed times, become for a
certain span the rulers of creation.
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When the fifth seal was opened St. John beheld those who had died for the
word of God. When the sixth seal was broken there was a great earthquake,
the sun being darkened and the moon becoming like blood. The angels of the
winds came forth and also another angel, who sealed upon their foreheads
144,000 of the children of Israel that they should be preserved against the
awful day of tribulation. By adding the digits together according to the
Pythagorean system of numerical philosophy, the number 144,000 is
reduced to 9, the mystic symbol of man and also the number of initiation, for
he who passes through the nine degrees of the Mysteries receives the sign of
the cross as emblematic of his regeneration and liberation from the bondage
of his own infernal, or inferior, nature. The addition of the three ciphers to
the original sacred number 1.44 indicates the elevation of the mystery to the
third sphere.
When the seventh seal was broken there was silence for the space of half an
hour. Then came forth seven angels and to each was given a trumpet. When
the seven angels sounded their trumpets--intoned the seven-lettered Name of
the Logos--great catastrophes ensued. A star, which was called Wormwood,
fell from heaven, thereby signifying that the secret doctrine of the ancients
had been given to men who had profaned it and caused the wisdom of God
to become a destructive agency. And another star--symbolizing the false
light of human reason as distinguished from the divine reason of the initiate-
-fell from heaven and to it (materialistic reason) was given the key to the
bottomless pit (Nature), which it opened, causing all manner of evil
creatures to issue forth. And there came also a mighty angel who was
clothed in a cloud, whose face was as the sun and his feet and legs as pillars
of fire, and one foot was upon the waters and the other upon the land (the
Hermetic Anthropos). This celestial being gave St. John a little book,
bidding him eat it, which the seer did. The book is representative of the
secret doctrine--that spiritual food which is the nourishment of the spirit.
And St. John, being "in the spirit," ate his fill of the wisdom of God and the
hunger of his soul was appeased.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Spirit of Evil. The war in heaven relates to the destruction of the planet
Ragnarok and to the fall of the angels. The virgin can be interpreted to
signify the secret doctrine itself and her son the initiate born out of the
"womb of the Mysteries." The Spirit of Evil thus personified in the great
dragon attempted to control mankind by destroying the mother of those
illumined souls who have labored unceasingly for the salvation of the world.
Wings were given to the Mysteries (the virgin) and they flew into the
wilderness; and the evil dragon tried to destroy them with a flood (of false
doctrine) but the earth (oblivion) swallowed up the false doctrines and the
Mysteries endured.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The thirteenth chapter describes a great beast which rose out of the sea,
having seven heads and ten horns. Faber sees in this amphibious monster the
Demiurgus, or Creator of the world, rising out of the Ocean of Chaos. While
most interpreters of the Apocalypse consider the various beasts described
therein as typical of evil agencies, this viewpoint is the inevitable result of
unfamiliarity with the ancient doctrines from which the symbolism of the
book is derived. Astronomically, the great monster rising out of the sea is the
constellation of Cetus (the whale). Because religious ascetics looked upon
the universe itself as an evil and ensnaring fabrication, they also came to
regard its very Creator as a weaver of delusions. Thus the great sea monster
(the world) and its Maker (the Demiurgus), whose strength is derived from
the Dragon of Cosmic Power, came to be personified as a beast of horror and
destruction, seeking to swallow up the immortal part: of human nature. The
seven heads of the monster represent the seven stars (spirits) composing the
constellation of the Great Dipper, called by the Hindus Rishis, or Cosmic
Creative Spirits. The ten horns Faber relates to the ten primordial patriarchs.
These may also denote the ancient zodiac of ten signs.
300 30 1 30
5 1 50 1
10 40 300 300
300 80 5 5
1 5 40 10
50 300 70 50
10 200 70
200 200
666 666 666 666
James Morgan Pryse also notes that according to this method of figuring, the
Greek term , which signifies the lower mind, has 666 as its numerical
equivalent. It is also well known to Qabbalists that , Jesus, has for its
numerical value another sacred and secret number--888. Adding the digits of
the number 666 and again adding the digits of the sum gives the sacred
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
number--9 the symbol of man in his unregenerate state and also the path of
his resurrection.
The fourteenth chapter opens with the Lamb standing on Mount Zion (the
eastern horizon), about Him gathered the 144,000 with the name of God
written in their foreheads. An angel thereupon announces the fall of
Babylon--the city of confusion or worldliness. Those perish who do not
overcome worldliness and enter into the realization that spirit--and not
matter--is enduring; for, having no interests other than those which are
material, they are swept to destruction with the material world. And St. John
beheld One like unto the Son of Man (Perseus) riding upon a cloud (the
substances of the invisible world) and bearing in his hand a sharp sickle, and
with the sickle the Shining One reaped the earth. This is a symbol of the
Initiator releasing into the sphere of reality the higher natures of those who,
symbolized by ripened grain, have reached the point of liberation. And there
came another angel (Botes)--Death--also with a sickle (Karma), who
reaped the vines of the earth (those who have lived by the false light) and
cast them into the winepress of the wrath of God (the purgatorial spheres).
In the nineteenth and twentieth chapters is set forth the preparation of that
mystical sacrament called the marriage of the Lamb. The bride is the soul of
the neophyte, which attains conscious immortality by uniting itself to its
own spiritual source. The heavens opened once more and St. John saw a
white horse, and the rider (the illumined mind) which sat upon it was called
Faithful and True. Out of his mouth issued a sharp sword and the armies of
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
heaven followed after him. Upon the plains of heaven was fought the mystic
Armageddon--the last great war between light and darkness. The forces of
evil under the Persian Ahriman battled against the forces of good under
Ahura-Mazda. Evil was vanquished and the beast and the false prophet cast
into a lake of fiery brimstone. Satan was bound for a thousand years. Then
followed the last judgment; the books were opened, including the book of
life. The dead were judged according to their works and those whose names
were not in the book of life were cast into a sea of fire. To the neophyte,
Armageddon represents the last struggle between the flesh and the spirit
when, finally overcoming the world, the illumined soul rises to union with
its spiritual Self. The judgment signifies the weighing of the soul and was
borrowed from the Mysteries of Osiris. The rising of the dead from their
graves and from the sea of illusion represents the consummation of the
process of human regeneration. The sea of fire into which those are cast who
fail in the ordeal of initiation signifies the fiery sphere of the animal world.
In the twenty-first and twenty-second chapters are pictured the new heaven
and the new earth to be established at the close of Ahriman's reign. St. John,
carried in the spirit to a great and high mountain (the brain), beheld the New
Jerusalem descending as a bride adorned for her husband. The Holy City
represents the regenerated and perfected world, the trued ashlar of the
Mason, for the city was a perfect cube, it being written, "the length and the
breadth and the height of it are equal." The foundation of the Holy City
consisted of a hundred and forty-four stones in twelve rows, from which it is
evident that the New Jerusalem represents the microcosm, patterned after the
greater universe in which it: stands. The twelve gates of this symbolic
dodecahedron are the signs of the zodiac through which the celestial
impulses descend into the inferior world; the jewels are the precious stones
of the zodiacal signs; and the transparent golden streets are the streams of
spiritual light along which the initiate passes on his path towards the sun.
There is no material temple in that city, for God and the Lamb are the
temple; and there is neither sun nor moon, for God and the Lamb are the
light. The glorified and spiritualized initiate is here depicted as a city. This
city will ultimately be united with the spirit of God and absorbed into the
Divine Effulgency.
And St. John beheld a river, the Water of Life, which proceeded out of the
throne of the Lamb. The river represents the stream pouring from the First
Logos, which is the life of all things and the active cause of all creation.
There also was the Tree of Life (the spirit) bearing twelve manner of fruit,
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whose leaves were for the healing of the nations. By the tree is also
represented the year, which every month yields some good for the
maintenance of existing creatures. Jesus then tells St. John that He is the root
and the offspring of David and the bright and morning star (Venus). St. John
concludes with the words, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
all. Amen."
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"Good Reader, the great Arabian Impostor now at last after a thousand years,
is by the way of France arrived in England, and his Alcoran, or gallimaufry
of errors, (a brat as deformed as the parent, and as full of heresies as his
scald head was of scurvy) hath learned to speak English. * * * If you will
take a brief view of the Alcoran, you shall find it a hodgepodge made up of
these four ingredients: 1. Of Contradictions. 2. Of Blasphemy. 3. Of
ridiculous Fables. 4. Of Lies."
"To Allah [God] belongeth the east and the west; therefore, whithersoever ye
turn yourselves to pray, there is the face of Allah; for Allah is omnipresent
and omniscient. They say, Allah hath begotten children: Allah forbid! To
him belongeth whatever is in heaven, and on earth; all is possessed by him,
the Creator of heaven and earth; and when he decreeth a thing, he only saith
unto it, Be, and it is." In other words, the God of Islam has but to desire and
the object of that desire at once comes into being, whereas the God of
Alexander Ross must proceed in accord with the laws of human generation!
"His mother suffered none of the pangs of travail. At the moment of his
coming into the world a celestial light illumined the surrounding country,
and the new born child, raising his eyes to heaven, exclaimed: 'God is great!
There is no God bur God, and I am his prophet!' Heaven and earth, we are
assured, were agitated at his advent. The Lake Sawa shrank back to its secret
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springs, leaving its borders dry; while the Tigris, bursting its bounds,
overflowed the neighboring lands. The palace of Khosru the king of Persia
shook t on its foundations, and several of its towers were toppled to the
earth. * * * In the same eventful night the sacred fire of Zoroaster, which,
guarded by the Magi, had burned without interruption for upward of a
thousand years, was suddenly extinguished, and all the idols in the world fell
down." (See Mahomet and His Successors.)
While the Prophet was still but a toddling babe, the Angel Gabriel with
seventy wings came to him, and cutting open the child, withdrew the heart.
This Gabriel cleansed of the black drop of original sin which is in every
human heart because of the perfidy of Adam and then returned the organ to
its proper place in the Prophet's body. (See footnote in E. H. Palmer's
translation of the Qur'an.)
With the passing years Mohammed attained marked success in business and
when about twenty-six years old married one of his employers, a wealthy
widow nearly fifteen years his senior. The widow, Khadijah by name, was
apparently somewhat mercenary, for, finding her young business manager
most efficient, she resolved to retain him in that capacity for life! Khadijah
was a woman of exceptional mentality and to her integrity and devotion
must be ascribed the early success of the Islamic cause. By his marriage
Mohammed was elevated from a position of comparative poverty to one of
great wealth and power, and so exemplary was his conduct that he became
known throughout Mecca as "the faithful and true."
Mohammed would have lived and died an honored and respected Meccan
had he not unhesitatingly sacrificed both his wealth and social position in the
service of the God whose voice he heard while meditating in the cavern on
Mount Hira in the month of Ramadan. Year after year Mohammed climbed
the rocky and desolate slopes of Mount Hira (since called Jebel Nur, "the
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Mountain of light") and here in his loneliness cried out to God to reveal
anew the pure religion of Adam, that spiritual doctrine lost to mankind
through the dissensions of religious factions. Khadijah, solicitous over her
husband's ascetic practices which were impairing his physical health,
sometimes accompanied him in his weary vigil, and with womanly intuition
sensed the travail of his soul. At last one night in his fortieth year as he lay
upon the floor of the cavern, enveloped in his cloak, a great light burst upon
him. Overcome with a sense of perfect peace and understanding in the
blessedness of the celestial presence, he lost consciousness. When he came
to himself again the Angel Gabriel stood before him, exhibiting a silken
shawl with mysterious characters traced upon it. From these characters
Mohammed gained the basic doctrines later embodied in the Koran. Then
Gabriel spoke in a clear and wonderful voice, declaring Mohammed to be
the Prophet of the living God.
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From D'Ohsson's Tableau Gnral de l'Empire Othoman.
In the seventeenth sura of the Koran it is written that upon a certain night Mohammed was transported
from the temple at Mecca to that of Jerusalem, but no details are given of the strange journey. In the
Mishkteu l-Masabih, Mohammed is made to describe his ascent through the seven heavens into the icy
presence of the may-veiled God and his subsequent return to his own bed, all in a single night. Mohammed
was awakened in the night by the Angel Gabriel, who, after removing the Prophet's heart, washed the
cavity with Zamzam water, and filled the heart itself with faith and science. A strange creature, called
Alborak, or the lightning bolt, was brought for the conveyance of the Prophet. Alborak is described as
white animal of the shape and size of a mule, with the head of a woman and the tail of a peacock.
According to some versions, Mohammed merely rode Alborak to Jerusalem, where, dismounting upon
Mount Moriah, he caught hold of the lower rung of a golden ladder lowered from heaven and,
accompanied by Gabriel, ascended through the seven spheres separating he earth from the inner surface of
the empyrean. At the gate of each sphere stood me of the Patriarchs, whom Mohammed saluted as he
entered the various planes. At the gate of the first heaven stood Adam; at the gate of the second, John and
Jesus (sisters' sons); at the third, Joseph; at the fourth, Enoch; at the fifth, Aaron; at the sixth, Moses; and
at the seventh, Abraham. Another order of the Patriarchs and prophets is given which places Jesus at the
gate of the seventh heaven, and upon reaching this Point Mohammed is said to have requested Jesus to
intercede for him before the throne of God.
assured him that his own virtuous life would be his protection and that he
need fear no evil. Thus reassured, the Prophet awaited further visitations
from Gabriel. When these did not come, however, such a despair filled his
soul that he attempted self-destruction, only to be stopped in the very act of
casting himself over a cliff by the sudden reappearance of Gabriel, who
again assured the Prophet that the revelations needed by his people would be
given to him as necessity arose.
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disciples, apostles, and saints of the early church are known to have been
subject to nervous disorders. Mohammed's first convert was his own wife,
Khadijah, who was followed by other members of his immediate family, a
circumstance which moved Sir William Muir to note:
Among the first to accept the faith of Islam was Abu Bekr, who became
Mohammed's closest and most faithful friend, in fact his alter ego. Abu
Bekr, a man of brilliant attainments, contributed materially to the success of
the Prophet's enterprise, and in accord with the express wish of the Prophet
became the leader of the faithful after Mohammed's death. Aisha, the
daughter of Abu Bekr, later became the wife of Mohammed, thus still
further cementing the bond of fraternity between the two men. Quietly, but
industriously, Mohammed promulgated his doctrines among a small circle of
powerful friends. When the enthusiasm of his followers finally forced his
hand and he publicly announced his mission, he was already the leader of a
strong and well-organized faction. Fearing Mohammed's growing prestige,
the people of Mecca, waiving the time-honored tradition that blood could
not be spilt within the holy city, decided to exterminate Islam by
assassinating the Prophet. All the different groups combined in this
undertaking so that the guilt for the crime might thereby be more evenly
distributed. Discovering the danger in time, Mohammed left his friend Ali in
his bed and fled with Abu Bekr from the city, and after adroitly eluding the
Meccans, joined the main body of his followers that had preceded him to
Yathrib (afterwards called Medina). Upon this incident-called the Hegira or
"flight"--is based the Islamic chronological system.
Dating from the Hegira the power of the Prophet steadily grew until in the
eighth year Mohammed entered Mecca after practically a bloodless victory
and established it as the spiritual center of his faith. Planting his standard to
the north of Mecca, he rode into the city, and after circling seven times the
sacred Caaba, ordered the 360 images within its precincts to be hewn down.
He then entered the Caaba itself, cleansed it of its idolatrous associations,
and rededicated the structure to Allah, the monotheistic God of Islam.
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Mohammed next granted amnesty to all his enemies for their attempts to
destroy him. Under his protection Mecca increased in power and glory,
becoming the focal point of a great annual pilgrimage, which even to this
day winds across the desert in the months of pilgrimage and numbers over
threescore thousand in its train.
In the tenth year after the Hegira, Mohammed led the valedictory pilgrimage
and for the last time rode at the head of the faithful along the sacred way
leading to Mecca and the Black Stone. As the premonition of death was
strong upon him, he desired this pilgrimage to be the perfect model for all
the thousands that would follow.
"Conscious that life was waning away within him," writes Washington
Irving, "Mahomet, during this last sojourn in the sacred city of his faith,
sought to engrave his doctrines deeply in the minds and hearts of his
followers. For this purpose he preached frequently in the Caaba from the
pulpit, or in the open air from the back of his camel. 'Listen to my words,'
would he say, 'for I know not whether, after this year, we shall ever meet
here again. Oh, my hearers, I am but a man like yourselves; the angel of
death may at any time appear, and I must obey his summons."' While thus
preaching, the very heavens are said to have opened and the voice of God
spoke, saying: "This day I have perfected your religion, and accomplished in
you my grace." When these words were uttered the multitude fell down in
adoration and even Mohammed's camel knelt. (See Mahomet and His
Successors.) Having completed the valedictory pilgrimage, Mohammed
returned to Medina.
In the seventh year after the Hegira (A.H. 7) an attempt was made at Kheibar
to poison the Prophet. As Mohammed took the first mouthful of the
poisoned food, the evil design was revealed to him either by the taste of the
meat or, as the faithful believe, by divine intercession. He had already
swallowed a small portion of the food, however, and for the remainder of his
life he suffered almost constantly from the effects of the poison. In A.H. 11,
when his final illness came upon him, Mohammed insisted that the subtle
effects of the poison were the indirect cause of his approaching end. It is
related that during his last sickness he rose one night and visited a burial
ground on the outskirts of Medina, evidently believing that he, too, would
soon be numbered with the dead. At this time he told an attendant that the
choice had been offered him of continuing his physical life or going to his
Lord, and that he had chosen to meet his Maker.
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Mohammed suffered greatly with his head and side and also from fever, but
on June 8th seemed convalescent. He joined his followers in prayer and,
seating himself in the courtyard, delivered a lecture to the faithful in a clear
and powerful voice. Apparently he overtaxed his strength, for it was
necessary to assist him into the house of Aisha, which opened into the court
of the mosque. Here upon a tough pallet laid on the bare floor the prophet of
Islam spent his last two hours on earth. When she saw that her aged husband
was suffering intense pain, Aisha--then but a girl of twenty--lifting the gray
head of the man she had known from infancy and who must have seemed
more like a father than a husband, supported him in her arms until the end.
Feeling that death was upon him, Mohammed prayed: "O Lord, I beseech
Thee, assist me in the agonies of death." Then almost in a whisper he
repeated three times: "Gabriel, come close unto me." (For details consult The
Life of Mohammad by Sir William Muir.) In The Hero as Prophet, Thomas
Carlyle writes thus of the death of Mohammed: "His last words were a
prayer, broken ejaculations of a heart struggling-up in trembling hope
towards its Maker."
Mohammed was buried under the floor of the apartment in which he died.
The present condition of the grave is thus described:
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closely the life of Mohammed is scrutinized by dispassionate investigators,
the more apparent become the finer qualities of his nature. In the words of
Carlyle:
"Mahomet himself, after all that can be said about him, was nor, a sensual
man. We so err widely if we consider this man as a common voluptuary,
intent mainly on base enjoyments--nay, on enjoyments of any kind. His
household was of the frugalest, his common diet barley bread and water.
Sometimes for months there was not a fire once lighted on his hearth. * * *
A poor, hard-working, ill-provided man; careless of what vulgar man toiled
for. * * * They called him a Prophet, you say? Why, he stood there face to
face with them; there, not enshrined in any mystery, visibly clouting his own
cloak, cobbling his own shoes, fighting, counselling, ordering in the midst of
them, they must have seen what kind of a man he was, let him be called
what you like! No emperor with his tiaras was obeyed as this man in a cloak
of his own clouting."
"His military triumphs awakened no pride nor vainglory, as they would have
done had they been effected for selfish purposes. In the time of his greatest
power, he maintained the same simplicity of manners and appearances as in
the days of his adversity. * * * It is this perfect abnegation of self, connected
with this apparent heartfelt piety, running throughout the various phases of
his fortune, which perplex one in forming a just estimate of Mahomet's
character. * * * When he hung over the death-bed of his infant son Ibrahim,
resignation to the will of God was exhibited in his conduct under this
keenest of afflictions; and the hope of soon rejoining his child in Paradise
was his consolation." (See Mahomet and His Successors.)
A'isha, questioned after the death of the Prophet concerning his habits,
replied that he mended his own clothes, cobbled his own shoes, and helped
her in the household duties. How far removed from Western concepts of
Mohammed's sanguinary character is Aisha's simple admission that he
loved most of all to sew! He also accepted the invitations of slaves and sat at
meals with servants, declaring himself to be a servant. Of all vices he hated
lying the most. Before his death he freed all his slaves. He never permitted
his family to use for personal ends any of the alms or tithe money given by
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his people. He was fond of sweetmeats and used rain water for drinking
purposes. His time he divided into three parts, namely: the first he gave to
God, the second to his family, and the third to himself. The latter portion,
however, he later sacrificed to the service of his people. He dressed chiefly
in white but also wore red, yellow, and green. Mohammed entered Mecca
wearing a black turban and
The most frequent, and apparently the most damaging, accusation brought
against Mohammed is that of polygamy. Those who sincerely believe the
harem to be irreconcilable with spirituality should with consistency move for
the expurgation of the Psalms of David and the Proverbs of Solomon from
the list of inspired writings, for the harem of Islam's Prophet was
insignificant compared with that maintained by Israel's wisest king and the
reputed favorite of the Most High! The popular conception that Mohammed
taught that woman had no soul and could attain heaven only through
marriage is not substantiated by the words and attitude of the Prophet during
his lifetime. In a paper entitled The Influence of Islam on Social Conditions,
read at the World's Parliament of Religions held in Chicago, in 1893,
Mohammed Webb states the charge and answers it thus:
"it has been said that Mohammed and the Koran denied a soul to woman and
ranked her with the animals. The Koran places her
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Little is known of the history of the Caaba prior to its rededication as a Mohammedan mosque, other than
that the building was a pagan temple. At the time the Prophet captured Mecca, the Caaba and surrounding
court contained 360 idols, which were destroyed by Mohammed before he actually gained access to the
shrine itself. The "Ancient House," as the Caaba is called, is an irregular cube measuring about 38 feet in
length, 35 feet in height, and 30 feet in width. The length of each side wall varies slightly and that of the
end walls over a foot. In the southeast corner of the wall at a convenient distance above the ground (about
five feet) is embedded the sacred and mysterious black stone or aerolite of Abraham. When first given to
that patriarch by the Angel Gabriel this stone was of such strong whiteness as to be visible from every part
of the earth, but late, it became black because of the sins of man. This black stone, oval in shape and about
seven inches in diameter, was broken in the seventh century and is now held together by a silver mounting.
According to tradition, 2,000 years before the creation of the world the Caaba was first constructed in
heaven, where a model of it still remains. Adam erected the Caaba on earth exactly below the spot in
heaven occupied by the original, and selected the stones from the five sacred mountains Sinai, al-Jud,
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Hir, Olivet, and Lebanon. Ten thousand angels were appointed to guard the structure. At the time of the
Deluge the sacred house was destroyed, but afterward was rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael. (For
details see A Dictionary of Islam). It is probable that the site of the Caaba was originally occupied by a
prehistoric stone altar or ring of uncut monoliths similar to those of Stonehenge. Like the temple at
Jerusalem, the Caaba has undergone many vicissitudes, and the present structure does not antedate the
seventeenth century of the Christian Era. When Mecca was sacked in A.D. 930, the famous black stone was
captured by the Carmathians, in whose possession it remained over twenty years and it is a moot question
whether the stone finally returned by them in exchange far a princely ransom was actually the original
block or a substitute.
The side of the Caaba are the supposed graves of Hagar and Ishmael, and near the door (which is about
seven feet above the ground) is the stone upon which Abraham stood while rebuilding the Caaba. Various
coverings have always been thrown over the cube-shaped structure; the present drape, which is replaced
annually, is a black brocade embroidered in a gold. Small pieces a the old drape are cherished by pilgrims
as holy relics.
Entrance to the Caaba is effected by a movable flight of steps. The interior is lined with varicolored
marble, silver, and gilt. Although the building is generally conceived to be windowless, this point is
disputed. Access to the roof is had through a silver-plated door. In addition to the sacred books the Caaba
contains thirteen lamps. The great courtyard around the building contains a number of holy objects, and is
bounded by a colonnade which originally consisted of 360 pillars. Opening into the courtyard are nineteen
gates, the sacred and significant number of the Metonic Cycle and also the number of stones in the inner
ring of Stonehenge. Seven great minarets tower above the Caaba, and one of the sacred ceremonials in
connection with the building includes seven circumambulations about the central Caaba in an apparent
effort to portray the motion of the celestial bodies.
on a perfect and complete equality with man, and the Prophet's teachings
often place her in a position superior to the male in some respects." Mr.
Webb justifies his stand by quoting from the thirty-fifth verse of the thirty-
third sura of the Koran:
"Verily the Moslems of either sex, and the true believers of either sex, and
the devout men, and the devout women, and the men of veracity, and the
women of veracity, and the patient men, and the patient women, and the
humble men, and the humble women, and the alms-givers of either sex, and
the men who fast, and the women who fast, and the chaste men, and the
chaste women, and those of either sex who remember Allah frequently: for
them hath Allah prepared forgiveness and a great reward." Here the
attainment of heaven is clearly set forth as a problem whose only solution is
that of individual merit.
On the day of his death Mohammed told Fatima, his beloved daughter, and
Safiya, his aunt: "Work ye out that which shall gain acceptance for you with
the Lord: for I verily have no power with Him to save you in any wise." The
Prophet did not advise either woman to rely upon the virtues of her husband
nor in any manner did he indicate woman's salvation to be dependent upon
the human frailty of her spouse.
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Everything to the contrary notwithstanding, Mohammed is not responsible
for the contradictions and inconsistencies in the Koran, for the volume was
not compiled and did not assume its present form until over twenty years
after his death. In its present state the Koran is, for the major part, a jumble
of hearsay through which occasionally shines forth an example of true
inspiration. From what is known of the man Mohammed, it is reasonable to
suppose that these nobler and finer portions represent the actual doctrines of
the Prophet; the remainder are obvious interpolations, some arising from
misunderstanding and others direct forgeries calculated to satisfy the
temporal ambitions of conquering Islam. On this subject, Godfrey Higgins
speaks with his usual perspicacity:
"Here we have the Koran of Mohammed and the first four sincere and
zealous patriarchs, and the Koran of the conquering and magnificent
Saracens--puffed up with pride and vanity. The Koran of the eclectic
philosopher was not likely to suit the conquerors of Asia. A new one must be
grafted on the old, to find a justification for their enormities." (See
Anacalypsis.)
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"The famous 'Stone of Cabar,' Kaaba, Cabir, or Kebir, at Mecca," says
Jennings, "which is so devoutly kissed by the Faithful, is a Talisman. It is
said that the figure of Venus is seen to this day engraved upon it with a
crescent. This very Caaba itself was at first an idolatrous temple, where the
Arabians worshipped Al-Uzza (God and Issa), that is Venus." (See
Kenealy's Enoch, The Second Messenger of God.)
The following lines are declared by the followers of the Prophet to have
been deleted from the Christian Gospels: "And when Jesus, the Son of Mary,
said, O children of Israel, verily I am the apostle of God sent unto you,
confirming the law which was delivered before me, and bringing good
tidings of an apostle who shall come after me, and whose name shall be
AHMED." In the present text containing the prophecy of Jesus concerning a
comforter to come after Him, it is further claimed that the word comforter
should be translated illustrious and that it had a direct reference to
Mohammed; also that the tongues of flame that descended upon the apostles
on the day of Pentecost in no way could be interpreted as signifying the
promised comforter. When asked, however, for definite proof that the
original Gospels contained these so-called expurgated references to
Mohammed, the Moslems make a counter-demand for production of the
original documents upon which Christianity is founded. Until such writings
are discovered, the point under dispute must remain a source of controversy.
"For nearly eight centuries under her Mohammedan rulers Spain set to all
Europe a shining example of a civilized and enlightened state. * * * Art,
literature and science prospered as they then prospered nowhere else in
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Europe. Students flocked from France and Germany and England to drink
from the fountains of learning which flowed only in the cities of the Moors.
The surgeons and doctors of Andalusia were in the van of science; women
were encouraged to devote themselves to serious study, and a lady doctor
was not unknown among the people of Cordova. Mathematics, astronomy
and botany, history, philosophy and jurisprudence, were to he mastered in
Spain and in Spain alone."
In the same work, among the great Islamic scientists and philosophers who
have made substantial contributions to human knowledge are listed Gerber,
or Djafer, who in the ninth century laid the foundations for modern
chemistry; Ben Musa, who in the tenth century introduced the theory of
algebra; Alhaze, who in the eleventh century made a profound study of
optics and discovered the magnifying power of convex lenses; and in the
eleventh century also, both Avicenna, or Ibn Sina, whose medical
encyclopedia was the standard of his age, and the great Qabbalist Avicebron,
or Ibn Gebirol.
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adopting the neo-Platonism they found in Europe, and gradually working
back to Aristotle."
What means the subtle mystery of the phnix reborn every six hundred
years? Faintly from within the sanctuary of the World Mysteries is
whispered the answer. Six hundred years before Christ the phnix of
wisdom (Pythagoras?) spread its wings and died upon the altar of humanity,
consumed by the sacrificial fire. In Nazareth the bird was again reborn from
its own ashes, only to die upon the tree which had its roots in Adam's skull.
In A.D. 600 appeared Ahmed (Mohammed). Again the phnix suffered, this
time from the poison of Kheibar, and from its charred ashes rose to spread
its wings across the face of Mongolia, where in the twelfth century Genghis
Khan established the rule of wisdom. Circling the mighty desert of Gobi, the
phnix again gave up its form, which now lies buried in a glass sarcophagus
under a pyramid bearing upon it the ineffable figures of the Mysteries. After
the lapse of six hundred years from the death of Genghis Khan, did
Napoleon Bonaparte--who believed himself to be the man of destiny--
contact in his wanderings this strange legend of the continual periodic
rebirth of wisdom? Did he feel the spreading wings of the phnix within
himself and did he believe the hope of the world had taken flesh in him? The
eagle on his standard may well have been the phnix. This would explain
why he was moved to believe himself predestined to establish the kingdom
of Christ on earth and is, perhaps, the clue to his little-understood
friendliness toward the Moslem.
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heroes who while in the physical body penetrated the realms of the dead
prove beyond question the presence of Mystery cults among the North
American red men. Wherever the Mysteries were established they were
recognized as the philosophic equivalents of death, for those passing through
the rituals experienced all after-death conditions while still in the physical
body. At the consummation of the ritual the initiate actually gained the
ability to pass in and out of his physical body at will. This is the philosophic
foundation for the allegories of adventures in the Indian Shadow Land, or
World of Ghosts.
"From coast to coast," writes Hartley Burr Alexander, "the sacred Calumet is
the Indian's altar, and its smoke is the proper offering to Heaven." (See
Mythology of All Paces.) In the Notes on the same work is given the
following description of the pipe ceremony:
"The master of ceremonies, again rising to his feet, filled and lighted the
pipe of peace from his own fire. Drawing three whiffs, one after the other, he
blew the first towards the zenith, the second towards the ground, and the
third towards the Sun. By the first act he returned thanks to the Great Spirit
for the preservation of his life during the past year, and for being permitted
to be present at this council. By the second, he returned thanks to his
Mother, the Earth, for her various productions which had ministered to his
sustenance. And by the third, he returned thanks to the Sun for his never-
failing light, ever shining upon all."
It was necessary for the Indian to secure the red stone for his calumet from
the pipestone quarry where in some remote past the Great Spirit had come
and, after fashioning with His own hands a great pipe, had smoked it toward
the four corners of creation and thus instituted this most sacred ceremony.
Scores of Indian tribes--some of them traveling thousands of miles--secured
the sacred stone from this single quarry, where the mandate of the Great
Spirit had decreed that eternal peace should reign.
The Indian does not worship the sun; he rather regards this shining orb as an
appropriate symbol of the Great and Good Spirit who forever radiates life to
his red children. In Indian symbolism the serpent--especially the Great
Serpent--corroborates other evidence pointing to the presence of the
Mysteries on the North American Continent. The flying serpent is the
Atlantean token of the initiate; the seven-headed snake represents the seven
great Atlantean islands (the cities of Chibola?) and also the seven great
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prehistoric schools of esoteric philosophy. Moreover, who can doubt the
presence of the secret doctrine in the Americas when he gazes upon the great
serpent mound in Adams County, Ohio, where the huge reptile is
represented as disgorging the Egg of Existence? Many American Indian
tribes are reincarnationists, some are transmigrationists. They even called
their children by the names supposed to have been borne by them in a
former life. There is an account of an instance where a parent by
inadvertence had given his infant the wrong name, whereupon the babe cried
incessantly until the mistake had been rectified! The belief in reincarnation
is also prevalent among the Eskimos. Aged Eskimos not infrequently kill
themselves in order to reincarnate in the family of some newly married
loved one.
The American Indians recognize the difference between the ghost and the
actual soul of a dead person, a knowledge restricted to initiates of the
Mysteries. In common with the Platonists they also understood the principles
of an archetypal sphere wherein exist the
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The Navaho dry or sand paintings are made by sprinkling varicolored ground pigment upon a base of
smooth sand. The one here reproduced is encircled by the rainbow goddess, and portrays an episode from
the Navaho cosmogony myth. According to Hasteen Klah, the Navaho sand priest who designed this
painting, the Navahos do not believe in idolatry, hence they make no images of their gods, but perpetuate
only the mental concept of them. Just as the gods draw pictures upon the moving clouds, so the priests
make paintings on the sand, and when the purpose of the drawing has been fulfilled it is effaced by a sweep
of the hand. According to this informant, the Zuni, Hopi, and Navaho nations had a common genesis; they
all came out of the earth and then separated into three nations.
The Navahos first emerged about 3,000 years ago at a point now called La Platte Mountain in Colorado.
The four mountains sacred to the Navahos are La Platte Mountain, Mount Taylor, Navaho Mountain, and
San Francisco Mountain. While these three nations were under the earth four mountain ranges were below
with them. The eastern mountains were white, the southern blue, the western yellow, and the northern
black. The rise and fall of these mountains caused the alternation of day and night. When the white
mountains rose it was day under the earth; when the yellow ones rose, twilight; the black mountains
brought night, and the blue, dawn. Seven major deities were recognized by the Navahos, but Hasteen Klah
was unable to say whether the Indians related these deities to the planets. Bakochiddy, one of these seven
major gods, was white in color with light reddish hair and gray eyes. His father was the sun ray and his
mother the daylight. He ascended to heaven and in some respects his life parallels that of Christ. To avenge
the kidnapping of his child, Kahothsode, a fish god, caused a great flood to arise. To escape destruction,
the Zunis, Hopis, and Navahos ascended to the surface of the earth.
The sand painting here reproduced is part of the medicine series prepared far the healing of disease. In the
healing ceremony the patient is placed upon the drawing, which is made in a consecrated hogan, and all
outsiders excluded. The sacred swastika in the center of the drawing is perhaps the most nearly universal
of religious emblems and represents the four corners of the world. The two hunchback god, at the right and
left assume their appearance by reason of the great clouds borne upon their backs. In Navaho religious art,
male divinities are always shown with circular heads and female divinities with square heads.
patterns of all forms manifesting in the earth plane, The theory of Group, or
Elder, Souls having supervision over the animal species is also shared by
them. The red man's belief in guardian spirits would have warmed the heart
of Paracelsus. When they attain the importance of being protectors of entire
clans or tribes, these guardians are called totems. In some tribes impressive
ceremonies mark the occasion when the young men are sent out into the
forest to fast and pray and there remain until their guardian spirit manifests
to them. Whatever creature appears thereupon becomes their peculiar genius,
to whom they appeal in time of trouble.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
the league--to abolish war by substituting councils of arbitration--was not
wholly successful, but the power of the "Silver Chain" conferred upon the
Iroquois a solidarity attained by no other confederacy of North American
Indians. Hiawatha, however, met the same opposition which has confronted
every great idealist, irrespective of time or race. The shamans turned their
magic against him and, according to one legend, created an evil bird which,
swooping down from heaven, tore his only daughter to pieces before his
eyes. When Hiawatha, after accomplishing his mission, had sailed away in
his self-propelled canoe along the path of the sunset, his people realized the
true greatness of their benefactor and elevated him to the dignity of a
demigod. In Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha the poet has cast the great
Indian statesman in a charming setting of magic and enchantment; yet
through the maze of symbol and allegory is ever faintly visible the figure of
Hiawatha the initiate--the very personification of the red man and his
philosophy.
No other sacred book sets forth so completely as the Popol Vuh the initiatory
rituals of a great school of mystical philosophy. This volume alone is
sufficient to establish incontestably the philosophical excellence of the red
race.
"The Red 'Children of the Sun,'" writes James Morgan Pryse, "do not
worship the One God. For them that One God is absolutely impersonal, and
all the Forces emanated from that One God are personal. This is the exact
reverse of the popular western conception of a personal God and impersonal
working forces in nature. Decide for yourself which of these beliefs is the
more philosophical. These Children of the Sun adore the Plumd Serpent,
who is the messenger of the Sun. He was the God Quetzalcoatl in Mexico,
Gucumatz in Quich; and in Peru he was called Amaru. From the latter
name comes our word America. Amaruca is, literally translated, 'Land of the
Plumd Serpent.' The priests of this God of Peace, from their chief centre in
the Cordilleras, once ruled both Americas. All the Red men who have
remained true to the ancient religion are still under their sway. One of their
strong centres was in Guatemala, and of their Order was the author of the
book called Popol Vuh. In the Quich tongue Gucumatz is the exact
equivalent of Quetzalcoatl in the Nahuatl language; quetzal, the bird of
Paradise; coatl, serpent--'the Serpent veiled in plumes of the paradise-bird'!"
821
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The Popol Vuh was discovered by Father Ximinez in the seventeenth
century. It was translated into French by Brasseur de Bourbourg and
published in 1861. The only complete English translation is that by Kenneth
Sylvan Guthrie, which ran through the early files of The Word magazine and
which is used as the basis of this article. A portion of the Popol Vuh was
translated into English, with extremely valuable commentaries, by James
Morgan Pryse, but unfortunately his translation was never completed. The
second book of the Popol Vuh is largely devoted to the initiatory rituals of
the Quich nation. These ceremonials are of first importance to students of
Masonic symbolism and mystical philosophy, since they establish beyond
doubt the existence of ancient and divinely instituted Mystery schools on the
American Continent.
The meager available native records contain abundant evidence that the later
civilizations of Central and South America were hopelessly dominated by
the black arts of their priestcrafts. In the convexities of their magnetized
mirrors the Indian sorcerers captured the intelligences of elemental beings
and, gazing into the depths of these abominable devices, eventually made the
scepter subservient to the wand. Robed in garments of sable hue, the
neophytes in their search for truth were led by their sinister guides through
the confused passageways of necromancy. By the left-hand path they
descended into the somber depths of the infernal world, where they learned
to endow stones with the power of speech and to subtly ensnare the minds of
men with their chants and fetishes. As typical of the perversion which
prevailed, none could achieve to the greater Mysteries until a human being
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had suffered immolation at his hand and the bleeding heart of the victim had
been elevated before the leering face of the stone idol fabricated by a
priestcraft the members of which realized more fully than they dared to
admit the true nature of the man-made demon. The sanguinary and
indescribable rites practiced by many of the Central American Indians may
represent remnants of the later Atlantean perversion of the ancient sun
Mysteries. According to the secret tradition, it was during the later Atlantean
epoch that black magic and sorcery dominated the esoteric schools, resulting
in the bloody sacrificial rites and gruesome idolatry which ultimately
overthrew the Atlantean empire and even penetrated the Aryan religious
world.
The princes of Xibalba (so the Popol Vuh recounts) sent their four owl
messengers to Hunhun-ahpu and Vukub-hunhun-ahpu, ordering them to
come at once to the place of initiation in the fastnesses of the Guatemalan
mountains. Failing in the tests imposed by the princes of Xibalba, the two
brothers--according to the ancient custom--paid with their lives for their
shortcomings. Hunhun-ahpu and Vukub-hunhun-ahpu were buried together,
but the head of Hunhun-ahpu was placed among the branches of the sacred
calabash tree which grew in the middle of the road leading to the awful
Mysteries of Xibalba. Immediately the calabash tree covered itself with fruit
and the head of Hunhun-ahpu "showed itself no more; for it reunited itself
with the other fruits of the calabash tree." Now Xquiq was the virgin
daughter of prince Cuchumaquiq. From her father she had learned of the
marvelous calabash tree, and desiring to possess some of its fruit, she
journeyed alone to the somber place where it grew. When Xquiq put forth
her hand to pick the fruit of the tree, some saliva from the mouth of Hunhun-
ahpu fell into it and the head spoke to Xquiq, saying: "This saliva and froth
is my posterity which I have just given you. Now my head will cease to
speak, for it is only the head of a corpse, which has no more flesh."
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Xquiq pleaded with them to spare her life, which they agreed to do,
substituting for her heart the fruit of a certain tree (rubber) whose sap was
red and of the consistency of blood. When the princes of Xibalba placed the
supposed heart upon the coals of the altar to be consumed, they were all
amazed by the perfume which rose therefrom, for they did not know that
they were burning the fruit of a fragrant plant.
Xquiq gave birth to twin sons, who were named Hunahpu and Xbalanque
and whose lives were dedicated to avenging the deaths of Hunhun-ahpu and
Vukub-hunhun-ahpu. The years passed, and the two boys grew up to
manhood and great were their deeds. Especially did they excel in a certain
game called tennis but somewhat resembling hockey. Hearing of the
prowess of the youths, the princes of Xibalba asked: "Who, then, are those
who now begin again to play over our heads, and who do not scruple to
shake (the earth)? Are not Hunhun-ahpu and Vukub-hunhun-ahpu dead, who
wished
to exalt themselves before our face?" So the princes of Xibalba sent for the
two youths, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, that they might destroy them also in
the seven days of the Mysteries. Before departing, the two brothers bade
farewell to their grandmother, each planting in the midst of the house a cane
plant, saying that as long as the cane lived she would know that they were
alive. "O, our grandmother, O, our mother, do not weep; behold the sign of
our word which remains with you. " Hunahpu and Xbalanque then departed,
each with his sabarcan (blowpipe), and for many days they journeyed along
824
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
the perilous trail, descending through tortuous ravines and along precipitous
cliffs, past strange birds and boiling springs, cowards the sanctuary of
Xibalba.
When told to adore the king, Hunahpu and Xbalanque laughed, for they
knew that the figure pointed out to them was the lifeless manikin. The young
adventurers thereupon addressed the twelve princes by name thus: "Hail,
Hun-came; hail, Vukub-came; hail, Xiquiripat; hail, Cuchumaquiq; hail,
Ahalpuh; hail, Ahalcana; hail, Chamiabak; hail, Chamiaholona; hail,
Quiqxic; hail, Patan; hail, Quiqre; hail, Quiqrixqaq." When invited by the
Xibalbians to seat themselves upon a great stone bench, Hunahpu and
Xbalanque declined to do so, declaring that they well knew the stone to be
heated so that they would he burned to death if they sat upon it. The princes
of Xibalba then ordered Hunahpu and Xbalanque to rest for the night in the
House of Shadows. This completed the first degree of the Xibalbian
Mysteries.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The second trial was given in the House of Shadows, where to each of the
candidates was brought a pine torch and a cigar, with the injunction that both
must be kept alight throughout the entire night and yet each must be returned
the next morning unconsumed. Knowing that death was the alternative to
failure in the test, the young men burnt aras-feathers in place of the pine
splinters (which they closely resemble) and also put fireflies on the tips of
the cigars. Seeing the lights, those who watched felt certain that Hunahpu
and Xbalanque had fallen into the trap, but when morning came the torches
and cigars were returned to the guards unconsumed and still burning. In
amazement and awe, the princes of Xibalba gazed upon the unconsumed
splinters and cigars, for never before had these been returned intact.
The third ordeal took place presumably in a cavern called the House of
Spears. Here hour after hour the youths were forced to defend themselves
against the strongest and most skillful warriors armed with spears. Hunahpu
and Xbalanque pacified the spearmen, who thereupon ceased attacking them.
They then turned their attention to the second and most difficult part of the
test: the production of four vases of the rarest flowers but which they were
not permitted to leave the temple to gather. Unable to pass the guards, the
two young men secured the assistance of the ants. These tiny creatures,
crawling into the gardens of the temple, brought back the blossoms so that
by morning the vases were filled. When Hunahpu and Xbalanque presented
the flowers to the twelve princes, the latter, in amazement, recognized the
blossoms as having been filched from their own private gardens. In
consternation, the princes of Xibalba then counseled together how they
could destroy the intrepid neophytes and forthwith prepared for them the
next ordeal.
For their fourth test, the two brothers were made to enter the House of Cold,
where they remained for an entire night. The princes of Xibalba considered
the chill of the icy cavern to be unbearable and it is described as "the abode
of the frozen winds of the North." Hunahpu and Xbalanque, however,
protected themselves from the deadening influence of the frozen air by
building fires of pine cones, whose warmth caused the spirit of cold to leave
the cavern so that the youths were not dead but full of life when day dawned.
Even greater than before was the amazement of the princes of Xibalba when
Hunahpu and Xbalanque again entered the Hall of Assembly in the custody
of their guardians.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The fifth ordeal was also of a nocturnal nature. Hunahpu and Xbalanque
were ushered into a great chamber which was immediately filled with
ferocious tigers. Here they were forced to remain throughout the night. The
young men tossed bones to the tigers, which they ground to pieces with their
strong jaws. Gazing into the House of the Tigers, the princes of Xibalba
beheld the animals chewing the bones and said one to the other: "They have
at last learned (to know the power of Xibalba), and they have given
themselves up to the beasts. " But when at dawn Hunahpu and Xbalanque
emerged from the House of the Tigers unharmed, the Xibalbians
The Midewiwin--Society of the Mide or Shaman--consists of an indefinite number of Mide of both sexes.
The society is graded into four separate and distinct degrees, although there is a general impression
prevailing even among certain members that any degree beyond the first is practically a mere repetition.
The greater power attained by one in making advancement depends upon the fact of his having submitted to
'being shot at with the medicine sacks' in the hands of the officiating priests. * * * It has always been
customary for the Mide priests to preserve birch-bark records, bearing delicate incised lines to represent
pictorially the ground plan of the number of degrees to which the owner is entitled. Such records or charts
are sacred and are never exposed to the public view."
The two rectangular diagrams represent two degrees of the Mide lodge and the straight line through the
center the spiritual path, or "straight and narrow way," running through the degrees. The lines running
tangent to the central Path signify temptations, and the faces at the termini of the lines are manidos, or
powerful spirits. Writing of the Midewiwin, Schoolcraft, the great authority on the American Indian, says:
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
"In the society of the Midewiwin the object is to teach the higher doctrines of spiritual existence, its nature
and mode of existence, and the influence it exercises among men. It is an association of men who profess
the highest knowledge known to the tribes."
According to legend, Manabozho, the great Rabbit, who was a servant of Dzhe Manido, the Good Spirit,
gazing down upon the progenitors of the Ojibwas and perceiving them to be without spiritual knowledge,
instructed an otter in the mysteries of Midewiwin. Manabozho built a Midewigan and initiated the otter,
shooting the sacred Migis (a small shell, the sacred symbol of the Mide) into the body of the otter. He then
conferred immortality upon the animal, and entrusted to it the secrets of the Grand Medicine Society. The
ceremony of initiation is preceded by sweat baths and consists chiefly of overcoming the influences of evil
manidos. The initiate is also instructed in the art of healing and (judging from Plate III of Mr. Hoffman's
article) a knowledge of directionalizing the forces moving through the vital centers of the human body.
Though the cross is an important symbol in the Midewiwin rites, it is noteworthy that the Mide Priests
steadfastly refused to give up their religion and be converted to Christianity.
cried: "Of what race are those?" for they could not understand how any man
could escape the tigers' fury. Then the princes of Xibalba prepared for the
two brothers a new ordeal.
The sixth test consisted of remaining from sunset to sunrise in the House of
Fire. Hunahpu and Xbalanque entered a large apartment arranged like a
furnace. On every side the flames arose and the air was stifling; so great was
the heat that those who entered this chamber could survive only a few
moments. But at sunrise when the doors of the furnace were opened,
Hunahpu and Xbalanque came forth unscorched by the fury of the flames.
The princes of Xibalba, perceiving how the two intrepid youths had survived
every ordeal prepared for their destruction, were filled with fear lest all the
secrets of Xibalba should fall into the hands of Hunahpu and Xbalanque. So
they prepared the last ordeal, an ordeal yet more terrible than any which had
gone before, certain that the youths could not withstand this crucial test.
The seventh ordeal took place in the House of the Bats. Here in a dark
subterranean labyrinth lurked many strange and odious creatures of
destruction. Huge bars fluttered dismally through the corridors and hung
with folded wings from the carvings on the walls and ceilings. Here also
dwelt Camazotz, the God of Bats, a hideous monster with the body of a man
and the wings and head of a bat. Camazotz carried a great sword and,
soaring through the gloom, decapitated with a single sweep of his blade any
unwary wanderers seeking to find their way through the terror-filled
chambers. Xbalanque passed successfully through this horrifying test, but
Hunahpu, caught off his guard, was beheaded by Camazotz.
Later, Hunahpu was restored to life by magic, and the two brothers, having
thus foiled every attempt against their lives by the Xibalbians, in order to
828
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
better avenge the murder of Hunhun-ahpu and Vukub-hunhun-ahpu,
permitted themselves to be burned upon a funeral pyre. Their powdered
bones were then cast into a river and immediately became two great man-
fishes. Later taking upon themselves the forms of aged wanderers, they
danced for the Xibalbians and wrought strange miracles. Thus one would cut
the other to pieces and with a single word resurrect him, or they would burn
houses by magic and then instantly rebuild them. The fame of the two
dancers--who were in reality Hunahpu and Xbalanque--finally came to the
notice of the twelve princes of Xibalba, who thereupon desired these two
miracle-workers to perform their strange fears before them. After Hunahpu
and Xbalanque had slain the dog of the princes and restored it to life, had
burned the royal palace and instantly rebuilt it, and given other
demonstrations of their magical powers, the monarch of the Xibalbians
asked the magicians to destroy him and restore him also to life. So Hunahpu
and Xbalanque slew the princes of Xibalba but did not return them to life,
thereby avenging the murder of Hunhun-ahpu and Vukub-hunhun-ahpu.
These heroes later ascended to heaven, where they became the celestial
lights.
"Do not these initiations," writes Le Plongeon, "vividly recall to mind what
Henoch said he saw in his visions? That blazing house of crystal, burning
hot and icy cold--that place where were the bow of fire, the quiver of arrows,
the sword of fire--that other where he had to cross the babbling stream, and
the river of fire-and those extremities of the Earth full of all kinds of huge
beasts and birds--or the habitation where appeared one of great glory sitting
upon the orb of the sun--and, lastly, does not the tamarind tree in the midst
of the earth, that he was cold was the Tree of Knowledge, find its simile in
the calabash tree, in the middle of the road where those of Xibalba placed
the head of Hunhun Ahpu, after sacrificing him for having failed to support
the first trial of the initiation? * * * These were the awful ordeals that the
candidates for initiation into the sacred mysteries had to pass through in
Xibalba. Do they not seem an exact counterpart of what happened in a
milder form at the initiation into the Eleusinian mysteries? and also the
greater mysteries of Egypt, from which these were copied? Does not the
recital of what the candidates to the mysteries in Xibalba were required to
know, before being admitted, * * * recall to mind the wonderful similar feats
said to be performed by the Mahatmas, the Brothers in India, and of several
of the passages of the book of Daniel, who had been initiated to the
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
mysteries of the Chaldeans or Magi which, according to Eubulus, were
divided into three classes or genera, the highest being the most learned?"
(See Sacred Mysteries among the Mayas and the Quiches.)
In his introductory notes to the Popol Vuh, Dr. Guthrie presents a number of
important parallelisms between this sacred book of the Quichs and the
sacred writings of other great civilizations. In the tests through which
Hunahpu and Xbalanque are forced to pass he finds the following analogy
with the signs of the zodiac as employed in the Mysteries of the Egyptians,
Chaldeans, and Greeks:
"Aries, crossing the river of mud. Taurus, crossing the river of blood.
Gemini, detecting the two dummy kings. Cancer, the House of Darkness.
Leo, the House of Spears. Virgo, the House of Cold (the usual trip to Hell).
Libra, the House of Tigers (feline poise). Scorpio, the House of Fire.
Sagittarius, the House of Bats, where the God Camazotz decapitates one of
the heroes. Capricorn, the burning on the scaffold (the dual Phnix).
Aquarius, their ashes being scattered in a river. Pisces, their ashes turning
into man-fishes, and later back into human form."
It would seem more appropriate to assign the river of blood to Aries and that
of mud to Taurus, and it is not at all improbable that in the ancient form of
the legend the order of the rivers was reversed. Dr. Guthrie's most
astonishing conclusion is his effort to identify Xibalba with the ancient
continent of Atlantis. He sees in the twelve princes of Xibalba the rulers of
the Atlantean empire, and in the destruction of these princes by the magic of
Hunahpu and Xbalanque an allegorical depiction of the tragic end of
Atlantis. To the initiated, however, it is evident that Atlantis is simply a
symbolic figure in which is set forth the mystery of origins.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
stone, cubical in shape. Gucumatz (or Quetzalcoatl) partakes of many of the
attributes of King Solomon: the account of the temple building in the Popol
Vuh is a reminder of the story of Solomon's Temple, and undoubtedly has a
similar significance. Brasseur de Bourbourg was first attracted to the study
of religious parallelisms in the Popol Vuh by the fact that the temple together
with the black stone which it contained, was named the Caabaha, a name
astonishingly similar to that of the Temple, or Caaba, which contains the
sacred black stone of Islam.
The exploits of Hunahpu and Xbalanque take place before the actual
creation of the human race and therefore are to be considered essentially as
spiritual mysteries. Xibalba doubtless signifies the inferior universe of
Chaldean and Pythagorean philosophy; the princes of Xibalba are the twelve
Governors of the lower universe; and the two dummies or manikins in their
midst may be interpreted as the two false signs of the ancient zodiac inserted
in the heavens to make the astronomical Mysteries incomprehensible to the
profane. The descent of Hunahpu and Xbalanque into the subterranean
kingdom of Xibalba by crossing over the rivers on bridges made from their
blowguns has a subtle analogy to the descent of the spiritual nature of man
into the physical body through certain superphysical channels that may be
likened to the blowguns or tubes. The sabarcan is also an appropriate
emblem of the spinal cord and the power resident within its tiny central
opening. The two youths are invited to play the "Game of Life" with the
Gods of Death, and only with the aid of supernatural power imparted to
them by the "Sages" can they triumph over these gloomy lords. The tests
represent the soul wandering through the sub-zodiacal realms of the created
universe; their final victory over the Lords of Death represents the ascension
of the spiritual and illumined consciousness from the tower nature which has
been wholly consumed by the fire of spiritual purification.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
in the Western Hemisphere since prehistoric times and it is evident that the
carvings are the result of contact with the distant continent of Asia. Among
the Mysteries of the Central American Indians is a remarkable doctrine
concerning the consecrated mantles or, as they were called in Europe, magic
capes. Because their glory was fatal to mortal vision, the gods, when
appearing to the initiated priests, robed themselves in these mantles,
Allegory and fable likewise are the mantles with which the secret doctrine is
ever enveloped. Such a magic cape of concealment is the Popol Vuh, and
deep within its folds sits the god of Quich philosophy. The massive
pyramids, temples, and monoliths of Central America may be likened also to
the feet of gods, whose upper parts are enshrouded in magic mantles of
invisibility.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Albert Pike, who has gathered ample evidence of the excellence of the
doctrines promulgated by the Mysteries, supports his assertions by quoting
from the writings of Clement of Alexandria, Plato, Epictetus, Proclus,
Aristophanes, and Cicero, all of whom unite in lauding the high ideals of
these institutions. From the unqualified testimony of such reputable
authorities no reasonable doubt can exist that the initiates of Greece, Egypt,
and other ancient countries possessed the correct solution to those great
cultural, intellectual, moral, and social problems which in an unsolved state
confront the humanity of the twentieth century. The reader must not interpret
this statement to mean that antiquity had foreseen and analyzed every
complexity of this generation, but rather that the Mysteries had evolved a
method whereby the mind was so trained in the fundamental verities of life
that it was able to cope intelligently with any emergency which might arise.
Thus the reasoning faculties were organized by a simple process of mental
culture, for it was asserted that where reason reigns supreme, inconsistency
cannot exist. Wisdom, it was maintained, lifts man to the condition of
Godhood, a fact which explains the enigmatical statement that the Mysteries
transformed "roaring beasts into divinities."
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The preeminence of any philosophical system can be determined only by the
excellence of its products. The Mysteries have demonstrated the superiority
of their culture by giving to the world minds of such overwhelming
greatness, souls of such beatific vision, and lives of such outstanding
impeccability that even after the lapse of ages the teachings of these
individuals constitute the present spiritual, intellectual, and ethical standards
of the race. The initiates of the various Mystery schools of past ages form a
veritable golden chain of supermen and superwomen connecting heaven and
earth. They are the links of that Homeric "golden chain" with which Zeus
boasted he could bind the several parts of the universe to the pinnacle of
Olympus. The sons and daughters of Isis are indeed an illustrious line--
founders of sciences and philosophies, patrons of arts and crafts, supporting
by the transcendency of their divinely given power the structures of world
religions erected to do them homage. Founders of doctrines which have
molded the lives of uncounted generations, these Initiate-Teachers bear
witness to that spiritual culture which has always existed--and always will
exist--as a divine institution in the world of men.
Those who represent an ideal beyond the comprehension of the masses must
face the persecution of the unthinking multitude who are without that divine
idealism which inspires progress and those rational faculties which
unerringly sift truth from falsehood. The lot of the Initiate-Teacher is
therefore almost invariably an unhappy one. Pythagoras, crucified and his
university burned; Hypatia, torn from her chariot and rended limb from
limb; Jacques de Molay, whose memory survives the consuming flame;
Savonarola, burned in the square of Florence; Galileo, forced to recant upon
bended knee; Giordano Bruno, burned by the Inquisition; Roger Bacon,
compelled to carry on his experiments in the secrecy of his cell and leave his
knowledge hidden under cipher; Dante Alighieri, dying in exile from his
beloved city; Francis Bacon, patient. under the burden of persecution;
Cagliostro, the most vilified man of modern times--all this illustrious line
bear unending witness of man's inhumanity to man. The world has ever been
prone to heap plaudits upon its fools and calumny upon its thinkers. Here
and there notable exceptions occur, as in the case of the Comte de St.-
Germain, a philosopher who survived his inquisitors and through the sheer
transcendency of his genius won a position of comparative immunity. But
even the illustrious Comte--whose illumined intellect merited the homage of
the world--could not escape being branded an impostor, a charlatan, and an
adventurer. From this long fist of immortal men and women who have
represented the Ancient Wisdom before the world, three have been chosen
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
as outstanding examples for more detailed consideration: the first the most
eminent woman philosopher of all ages; the second the most maligned and
persecuted man since the beginning of Christian Era; the third the most
brilliant and the most successful modern exponent of this Ancient Wisdom.
HYPATIA
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summit of the mountain is the goal of human attainment--true happiness. The figures and groups are
arranged as follows: (1) the door of the wall of life; (2) the Genius or Intelligence; (3) deceit (4) opinions,
desires, and pleasures; (5) fortune; (6) the strong; (7) venery, insatiability, flattery; (8) sorrow; (9)
sadness; (10) misery; (11) grief, (12) rage or despair; (13) the house of misfortune; (14) penitence; (15)
true opinion; (16) false opinion; (17) false doctrine; (18) poets, orators, geometers, et. al.; (19)
incontinence, sexual indulgence, and opinion; (20) the road of the true doctrine (21) continence and
patience; (22) the true doctrine; (23) truth and persuasion; (24) science and the virtues; (25) happiness,
(26) the highest (first) pleasure of the wise man; (27) the lazy and the strays.
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exception, the meager historical references to this virgin philosopher attest
her virtue, integrity, and absolute devotion to the principles of Truth and
Right.
While it is true that the best minds of the Christianity of that period may
readily be absolved from the charge of participes criminis, the implacable
hatred of Cyril unquestionably communicated itself to the more fanatical
members of his faith, particularly to a group of monks from the Nitrian
desert. Led by Peter the Reader, a savage and illiterate man, they attacked
Hypatia on the open street as she was passing from the academy to her
home. Dragging the defenseless woman from her chariot, they took her to
the Csarean Church. Tearing away her garments, they pounded her to death
with clubs, after which they scraped the flesh from her bones with oyster
shells and carried the mutilated remains to a place called Cindron, where
they burned them to ashes.
Thus perished in A.D. 415 the greatest woman initiate of the ancient world,
and with her fell also the Neo-Platonic School of Alexandria. The memory
of Hypatia has probably been perpetuated in the hagiolatry of the Roman
Catholic Church in the person of St. Catherine of Alexandria.
The "divine" Cagliostro, one moment the idol of Paris, the next a lonely
prisoner in a dungeon of the Inquisition, passed like a meteor across the face
of France. According to his memoirs written by him during his confinement
in the Bastille, Alessandro Cagliostro was born in Malta of a noble but
unknown family. He was reared and educated in Arabia under the tutelage of
Altotas, a man well versed in several branches of philosophy and science
and also a master of the transcendental arts. While Cagliostro's biographers
generally ridicule this account, they utterly fail to advance in its stead any
logical solution for the source of his magnificent store of arcane knowledge.
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him, so to speak. For over one hundred years his character has dangled on
the gibbet of infamy, upon which the sbirri of tradition have inscribed a
curse on any one who shall attempt to cut him down. His fate has been his
fame. He is remembered in history, not so much for anything he did, as for
what was done to him." (See Cagliostro, the Splendour and Misery of a
Master of Magic.)
Sincere investigators of the facts surrounding the life and mysterious "death"
of Cagliostro are of the opinion that the stories circulated against him may
be traced to the machinations of the Inquisition, which in this manner sought
to justify his persecution. The basic charge against Cagliostro was that he
had attempted to found a Masonic lodge in Rome--nothing more. All other
accusations are of subsequent date. For some reason undisclosed, the Pope
commuted Cagliostro's sentence of death to perpetual imprisonment. This
act in itself showed the regard in which Cagliostro was held even by his
enemies. While his death is believed to have occurred several years later in
an Inquisitional dungeon in the castle of San Leo, it is highly improbable
838
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
that such was the case. There are rumors that he escaped, and according to
one very significant story Cagliostro fled to India, where his talents received
the appreciation denied them in politics-ridden Europe.
After creating his Egyptian Rite, Cagliostro declared that since women had
been admitted into the ancient Mysteries there was no reason why they
should be excluded from the modem orders. The Princesse de Lamballe
graciously accepted the dignity of Mistress of Honor in his secret society,
and on the evening of her initiation the most important members of the
French court were present. The brilliance of the affair attracted the attention
of the Masonic lodges in Paris. Their representatives, in a sincere desire to
understand the Masonic Mysteries, chose the learned orientalist Court de
Gbelin as their spokesman, and invited Comte di Cagliostro to attend a
conference to assist in clearing up a number of important questions
concerning Masonic philosophy. The Comte accepted the invitation.
On May 10, 1785, Cagliostro attended the conference called for that
purpose, and his power and simplicity immediately won for him the
favorable opinion of the entire gathering. It took but a few words for the
Court de Gbelin to discover that he was talking nor only to a fellow scholar
but to a man infinitely his superior. Cagliostro immediately presented an
address, which was so unexpected, so totally different from anything ever
heard before by those assembled, that all were speechless with amazement.
Cagliostro declared the Rose-Cross to be the ancient and true symbol of the
Mysteries and, after a brief description of its original symbolism, branched
out into a consideration of the symbolic meaning of letters, predicting to the
assembly the future of France in a graphic manner that left no room for
doubt that the speaker was a man of insight and supernatural power. With a
curious arrangement of the letters of the alphabet, Cagliostro foretold in
detail the horrors of the coming revolution and the fall of the monarchy,
describing minutely the fate of the various members of the royal family. He
also prophesied the advent of Napoleon and the rise of the First Empire. All
this he did to demonstrate that which can be accomplished by superior
knowledge.
Later when arrested and sent to the Bastille, Cagliostro wrote on the wall of
his cell the following cryptic message which, when interpreted, reads: "In
1789 the besieged Bastille will on July 14th be pulled down by you from top
to bottom." Cagliostro was the mysterious agent of the Knights Templars,
the Rosicrucian initiate whose magnificent store of learning is attested by the
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
profundity of the Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry. Thus Comte di Cagliostro
remains one of the strangest characters in history--believed by his friends to
have lived forever and to have taken part in the marriage feast of Cana, and
accused by his enemies of being the Devil incarnate! His powers of
prophecy are ably described by Alexandre Dumas in The Queen's Necklace.
The world he sought to serve in his own strange way received him not, but
has followed with relentless persecution down through the centuries even the
very memory of this illustrious adept who, unable to accomplish the great
labor at hand, stepped aside in favor of his more successful compatriot, the
Comte de St-Germain.
During the early part of the eighteenth century there appeared in the
diplomatic circles of Europe the most baffling personality of history--a man
whose life was so near a synonym of mystery that the enigma of his true
identity was as insolvable to his contemporaries as it has been to later
investigators. The Comte de St.-Germain was recognized as the outstanding
scholar and linguist of his day. His versatile accomplishments extended from
chemistry and history to poetry and music. He played several musical
instruments with great skill and among his numerous compositions was a
short opera. He was also an artist of rare ability and the remarkably
luminous effects which he created on canvas are believed to have been the
result of his mixing powdered mother-of-pearl with his pigments. He gained
worldwide distinction for his ability to reproduce in his paintings the original
luster of the precious stones appearing upon the costumes of his subjects.
His linguistic proficiency verged on the supernatural. He spoke German,
English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French with a Piedmontese accent,
Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Arabic, and Chinese with such fluency that in every
land he visited he was accepted as a native. He was ambidextrous to such a
degree that: he could write the same article with both hands simultaneously.
When the two pieces of paper were afterwards placed together with a light
behind them, the writing on one sheet exactly covered, letter for letter, the
writing on the other.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
science. His knowledge of chemistry was so profound that he could remove
flaws from diamonds and other precious stones--a feat which he actually
performed at the request of Louis XV in 1757. He was also recognized as an
art critic without a peer and was often consulted regarding paintings
accredited to the great masters. His claim to the possession of the fabled
elixir of life was home witness to by Madame de Pompadour, who
discovered, she declared, that he had presented a lady of the court with a
certain priceless liquid which had had the effect of preserving her youthful
vivacity and beauty for over twenty-five years beyond the normal term.
The startling accuracy of his prophetic utterances gained for him no small
degree of fame. To Marie Antoinette he predicted the fall of the French
monarchy, and he was also aware of the unhappy fate of the royal family
years before the Revolution actually took place. The crowning evidence,
however, of the Comte's genius was his penetrating grasp of the political
situation of Europe and the consummate skill with which he parried the
thrusts of his diplomatic adversaries. He was employed by a number of
European governments, including the French, as a secret agent, and at all
times bore credentials which gave him entre to the most exclusive circles.
841
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
devoid of wrinkles and free from any physical infirmity. He ate no meat and
drank no wine, in fact seldom dined in the presence of any second person.
Although he was looked upon as a charlatan and impostor by a few nobles at
the French court, Louis XV severely reprimanded a courtier who made a
disparaging remark concerning him. The grace and dignity that characterized
his conduct, together with his perfect control of every situation, attested the
innate refinement and culture of one "to the manner born." This remarkable
person also had the surprising and impressive ability to divine, even to the
most minute details, the questions of his inquisitors before they were asked.
By something akin to telepathy he was also able to feel when his presence
was needed in some distant city or state, and it has even been recorded of
him that he had the astonishing habit not only of appearing in his own
apartment and in those of friends without resorting to the conventionality of
the door but also of departing therefrom in a similar manner.
842
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
The Comte de St.-Germain has been generally regarded as an important
figure in early activities of the Freemasons. Repeated efforts, however,
probably with an ulterior motive, have been made to discredit his Masonic
affiliations. An example of this is the account appearing in The Secret
Tradition in Freemasonry, by Arthur Edward
Waite. This author, after making several rather disparaging remarks on the
subject, amplifies his article by reproducing an engraving of the wrong
Comte de St.-Germain, apparently being unable to distinguish between the
great illuminist and the French general. It will yet be established beyond all
doubt that the Comte de St.-Germain was both a Mason and a Templar; in
fact the memoirs of Cagliostro contain a direct statement of his initiation
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
into the order of the Knights Templars at the hands of St.-Germain. Many of
the illustrious personages with whom the Comte de St.-Germain associated
were high Masons, and sufficient memoranda have been preserved
concerning the discussions which they held to prove that he was a master of
Freemasonic lore. It is also reasonably certain that he was connected with
the Rosicrucians--possibly having been the actual head of that order.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
French Revolution? Was he known to Lord Lytton about 1860? * * * Is he
the mysterious Muscovite adviser of the Dalai Lama? Who knows? He is a
will-o'-the-wisp of the memoir-writers of the eighteenth century. " (See
Historical Mysteries.)
Many times the question has been asked, Was Francis Bacon's vision of the
"New Atlantis" a prophetic dream of the great civilization which was so
soon to rise upon the soil of the New World? It cannot be doubted that the
secret societies of Europe conspired to establish upon the American
continent "a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are created equal." Two incidents in the early
history of the United States evidence the influence of that silent body which
has so long guided the destinies of peoples and religions. By them nations
are created as vehicles for the promulgation of ideals, and while nations are
true to these ideals they survive; when they vary from them they vanish like
the Atlantis of old which had ceased to "know the gods."
In his admirable little treatise, Our Flag, Robert Allen Campbell revives the
details of an obscure, but most important, episode of American history--the
designing of the Colonial flag of 1775. The account involves a mysterious
man concerning whom no information is available other than that he was on
familiar terms with both General George Washington and Dr. Benjamin
Franklin. The following description of him is taken from Campbell's treatise:
"Little seems to have been known concerning this old gentleman; and in the
materials from which this account is compiled his name is not even once
mentioned, for he is uniformly spoken of or referred to as 'the Professor.' He
was evidently far beyond his threescore and ten years; and he often referred
to historical events of more than a century previous just as if he had been a
living witness of their occurrence; still he was erect, vigorous and active--
hale, hearty, and clear-minded--as strong and energetic every way as in the
prime of his life He was tall, of fine figure, perfectly easy, and very dignified
in his manners; being at once courteous, gracious and commanding. He was,
for those times and considering the customs of the Colonists, very peculiar
in his method of living; for he ate no flesh, fowl or fish; he never used for
food any 'green thing,' any roots or anything unripe; he drank no liquor, wine
or ale; but confined his diet to cereals and their products, fruits that were
845
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
ripened on the stem in the sun, nuts, mild tea and the sweets of honey, sugar
or molasses.
846
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
destinies of this planet? Benjamin Franklin was a philosopher and a
Freemason--possibly a Rosicrucian initiate. He and the Marquis de
Lafayette--also a man of mystery--constitute two of the most important links
in the chain of circumstance that culminated in the establishment of the
original thirteen American Colonies as a free and independent nation. Doctor
Franklin's philosophic attainments are well attested in Poor Richard's
Almanac, published by him for many years under the name of Richard
Saunders. His interest in the cause of Freemasonry is also shown by his
republication of Anderson's Constitutions of Freemasonry, a rare and much
disputed work on the subject.
It was during the evening of July 4, 1776, that the second of these
mysterious episodes occurred. In the old State House in Philadelphia a group
of men were gathered for the momentous task of severing the last tie
between the old country and the new. It was a grave moment and not a few
of those present feared that their lives would be the forfeit for their audacity.
In the midst of the debate a fierce voice rang out. The debaters stopped and
turned to look upon the stranger. Who was this man who had suddenly
appeared in their midst and transfixed them with his oratory? They had
never seen him before, none knew when he had entered, but his tall form and
pale face filled them with awe. His voice ringing with a holy zeal, the
stranger stirred them to their very souls. His closing words rang through the
building: "God has given America to be free!" As the stranger sank into a
chair exhausted, a wild enthusiasm burst forth. Name after name was placed
upon the parchment: the Declaration of Independence was signed. But where
was the man who had precipitated the accomplishment of this immortal task-
-who had lifted for a moment the veil from the eyes of the assemblage and
revealed to them a part at least of the great purpose for which the new nation
was conceived? He had disappeared, nor was he ever seen again or his
identity established. This episode parallels others of a similar kind recorded
by ancient historians attendant upon the founding of every new nation. Are
they coincidences, or do they demonstrate that the divine wisdom of the
ancient Mysteries still is present in the world, serving mankind as it did of
old?
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
Conclusion
PHILIP, King of Macedon, ambitious to obtain the teacher who would be
most capable of imparting the higher branches of learning to his fourteen-
year-old son, Alexander, and wishing the prince to have for his mentor the
most famous and learned of the great philosophers, decided to communicate
with Aristotle. He dispatched the following letter to the Greek sage:
"PHILIP TO ARISTOTLE, HEALTH: Know that I have a son. I render the
gods many thanks; not so much for his birth, as that he was born in your
time, for I hope that being educated and instructed by you, he will become
worthy of us both and the kingdom which he shall inherit." Accepting
Philip's invitation, Aristotle journeyed to Macedon in the fourth year of the
108th Olympiad, and remained for eight years as the tutor of Alexander. The
young prince's affection for his instructor became as great as that which he
felt for his father. He said that his father had given him being, but that
Aristotle had given him well-being.
The basic principles of the Ancient Wisdom were imparted to Alexander the
Great by Aristotle, and at the philosopher's feet the Macedonian youth came
to realize the transcendency of Greek learning as it was personified in Plato's
immortal disciple. Elevated by his illumined teacher to the threshold of the
philosophic sphere, he beheld the world of the sages--the world that fate and
the limitations of his own soul decreed he should not conquer.
Aristotle in his leisure hours edited and annotated the Iliad of Horner and
presented the finished volume to Alexander. This book the young conqueror
so highly prized that he carried it with him on all his campaigns. At the time
of his triumph over Darius, discovering among the spoils a magnificent,
gem-studded casket of unguents, he dumped its contents upon the ground,
declaring that at last he had found a case worthy of Aristotle's edition of the
Iliad!
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
communicated to all? For my part I had rather surpass the majority of
mankind in the sublimer branches of learning, than in extent of power and
dominion. Farewell." The receipt of this amazing letter caused no ripple in
the placid life of Aristotle, who replied that although the discourse had been
communicated to the multitudes, none who had not heard him deliver the
lecture (who lacked spiritual comprehension) could understand its true
import.
A few short years and Alexander the Great went the way of all flesh, and
with his body crumbled the structure of empire erected upon his personality.
One year later Aristotle also passed into that greater world concerning whose
mysteries he had so often discoursed with his disciples in the Lyceum. But,
as Aristotle excelled Alexander in life, so he excelled him in death; for
though his body moldered in an obscure tomb, the great philosopher
continued to live in his intellectual achievements. Age after age paid him
grateful tribute, generation after generation pondered over his theorems until
by the sheer transcendency of his rational faculties Aristotle--"the master of
those who know," as Dante has called him--became the actual conqueror of
the very world which Alexander had sought to subdue with the sword.
That the philosophic culture of ancient Greece, Egypt, and India excelled
that of the modern, world must be admitted by all, even by the most
confirmed of modernists. The golden era of Greek sthetics, intellectualism,
and ethics has never since been equaled. The true philosopher belongs to the
most noble order of men: the nation or race which is blessed by possession
of illumined thinkers is fortunate indeed, and its name shall be remembered
for their sake. In the famous Pythagorean school at Crotona, philosophy was
regarded as indispensable to the life of man. He who did not comprehend the
dignity of the reasoning power could not properly be said to live. Therefore,
when through innate perverseness a member either voluntarily withdrew or
was forcibly ejected from the philosophic fraternity, a headstone was set up
849
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
for him in the community graveyard; for he who had forsaken intellectual
and ethical pursuits to reenter the material sphere with its illusions of sense
and false ambition was regarded as one dead to the sphere of Reality. The
life represented by the thraldom of the senses the Pythagoreans conceived to
be spiritual death, while they regarded death to the sense-world as spiritual
life.
Philosophy bestows life in that it reveals the dignity and purpose of living.
Materiality bestows death in that it benumbs or clouds those faculties of the
human soul which should be responsive to the enlivening impulses of
creative thought and ennobling virtue. How inferior to these standards of
remote days are the laws by which men live in the twentieth century! Today
man, a sublime creature with infinite capacity for self-improvement, in an
effort to be true to false standards, turns from his birthright of
understanding--without realizing the consequences--and plunges into the
maelstrom of material illusion. The precious span of his earthly years he
devotes to the pathetically futile effort to establish himself as an enduring
power in a realm of unenduring things. Gradually the memory of his life as a
spiritual being vanishes from his objective mind and he focuses all his partly
awakened faculties upon
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
the seething beehive of industry which he has come to consider the sole
actuality. From the lofty heights of his Selfhood he slowly sinks into the
gloomy depths of ephemerality. He falls to the level of the beast, and in
brutish fashion mumbles the problems arising from his all too insufficient
knowledge of the Divine Plan. Here in the lurid turmoil of a great industrial,
political, commercial inferno, men writhe in self-inflicted agony and,
851
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
reaching out into the swirling mists, strive to clutch and hold the grotesque
phantoms of success and power.
Ignorant of the cause of life, ignorant of the purpose of life, ignorant of what
lies beyond the mystery of death, yet possessing within himself the answer
to it all, man is willing to sacrifice the beautiful, the true, and the good
within and without upon the blood-stained altar of worldly ambition. The
world of philosophy--that beautiful garden of thought wherein the sages
dwell in the bond of fraternity--fades from view. In its place rises an empire
of stone, steel, smoke, and hate-a world in which millions of creatures
potentially human scurry to and fro in the desperate effort to exist and at the
same time maintain the vast institution which they have erected and which,
like some mighty, juggernaut, is rumbling inevitably towards an unknown
end. In this physical empire, which man erects in the vain belief that he can
outshine the kingdom of the celestials, everything is changed to stone,
Fascinated by the glitter of gain, man gazes at the Medusa-like face of greed
and stands petrified.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
and an outstanding individuality to be but a fortuitous combination of cells!
Pythagoras is asserted to have suffered from a "bean complex"; Socrates was
a notorious inebriate; St. Paul was subject to fits; Paracelsus was an
infamous quack, the Comte di Cagliostro a mountebank, and the Comte de
St.-Germain the outstanding crook of history!
What do the lofty concepts of the world's illumined saviors and sages have
in common with these stunted, distorted products of the "realism" of this
century? All over the world men and women ground down by the soulless
cultural systems of today are crying out for the return of the banished age of
beauty and enlightenment--for something practical in the highest sense of
the word. A few are beginning to realize that so-called civilization in its
present form is at the vanishing point; that coldness, heartlessness,
commercialism, and material efficiency are impractical, and only that which
offers opportunity for the expression of love and ideality is truly worth
while. All the world is seeking happiness, but knows not in what direction to
search. Men must learn that happiness crowns the soul's quest for
understanding. Only through the realization of infinite goodness and infinite
accomplishment can the peace of the inner Self be assured. In spite of man's
geocentricism, there is something in the human mind that is reaching out to
philosophy--not to this or that philosophic code, but simply to philosophy in
the broadest and fullest sense.
The great philosophic institutions of the past must rise again, for these alone
can tend the veil which divides the world of causes from that of effects. Only
the Mysteries--those sacred Colleges of Wisdom--can reveal to struggling
humanity that greater and more glorious universe which is the true home of
the spiritual being called man. Modern philosophy has failed in that it has
come to regard thinking as simply an intellectual process. Materialistic
thought is as hopeless a code of life as commercialism itself. The power to
think true is the savior of humanity. The mythological and historical
Redeemers of every age were all personifications of that power. He who has
a little more rationality than his neighbor is a little better than his neighbor.
He who functions on a higher plane of rationality than the rest of the world
is termed the greatest thinker. He who functions on a lower plane is regarded
as a barbarian. Thus comparative rational development is the true gauge of
the individual's evolutionary status.
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
instead of awaiting the slower processes of Nature, This supreme source of
power, this attainment of knowledge, this unfolding of the god within, is
concealed under the epigrammatic statement of the philosophic life. This
was the key to the Great Work, the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone, for it
meant that alchemical transmutation had been accomplished. Thus ancient
philosophy was primarily the living of a life; secondarily, an intellectual
method. He alone can become a philosopher in the highest sense who lives
the philosophic life. What man lives he comes to know. Consequently, a
great philosopher is one whose threefold life--physical, mental, and spiritual-
-is wholly devoted to and completely permeated by his rationality.
854
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
preserved from generation to generation. This heritage of philosophic truth is
the matchless treasure of all ages, and each disciple admitted into these
brotherhoods of the wise made, in turn, his individual contribution to this
store of classified knowledge.
The one hope of the world is philosophy, for all the sorrows of modern life
result from the lack of a proper philosophic code. Those who sense even in
part the dignity of life cannot but realize the shallowness apparent in the
activities of this age. Well has it been said that no individual can succeed
until he has developed his philosophy of life. Neither can a race or nation
attain true greatness until it has formulated an adequate philosophy and has
dedicated its existence to a policy consistent with that philosophy. During
the World War, when so-called civilization hurled one half of itself against
the other in a frenzy of hate, men ruthlessly destroyed something more
precious even than human life: they obliterated those records of human
thought by which life can be intelligently directionalized. Truly did
Mohammed declare the ink of philosophers to be more precious than the
blood of martyrs. Priceless documents, invaluable records of achievement,
knowledge founded on ages of patient observation and experimentation by
the elect of the earth--all were destroyed with scarcely a qualm of regret.
What was knowledge, what was truth, beauty, love, idealism, philosophy, or
religion when compared to man's desire to control an infinitesimal spot in
the fields of Cosmos for an inestimably minute fragment of time? Merely to
satisfy some whim or urge of ambition man would uproot the universe,
though well he knows that in a few short years he must depart, leaving all
that he has seized to posterity as an old cause for fresh contention.
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____________________________
856
The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
yet in the womb of destiny must build a new world. Foreseeing the needs of
that day, the philosophers of the ages have desired that into the structure of
this new world shall be incorporated the truest and finest of all that has gone
before. It is a divine law that the sum of previous accomplishment shall be
the foundation of each new order of things. The great philosophic treasures
of humanity must be preserved. That which is superficial may he allowed to
perish; that which is fundamental and essential must remain, regardless of
cost.
In the last analysis, the Ultimate Cause alone can be denominated wise; in
simpler words, only God is good. Socrates declared knowledge, virtue, and
utility to be one with the innate nature of good. Knowledge is a condition of
knowing; virtue a condition of being; utility a condition of doing.
Considering wisdom as synonymous with mental completeness, it is evident
that such a state can exist only in the Whole, for that which is less than the
Whole cannot possess the fullness of the All. No part of creation is
complete; hence each part is imperfect to the extent that it falls short of
entirety. Where incompleteness is, it also follows that ignorance must be
coexistent; for every part, while capable of knowing its own Self, cannot
become aware of the Self in the other parts. Philosophically considered,
growth from the standpoint of human evolution is a process proceeding from
heterogeneity to homogeneity. In time, therefore, the isolated consciousness
of the individual fragments is reunited to become the complete
consciousness of the Whole. Then, and then only, is the condition of all-
knowing an absolute reality.
Thus all creatures are relatively ignorant yet relatively wise; comparatively
nothing yet comparatively all. The microscope reveals to man his
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The Secret Teachings Of All Ages
significance; the telescope, his insignificance. Through the eternities of
existence man is gradually increasing in both wisdom and understanding; his
ever-expanding consciousness is including more of the external within the
area of itself. Even in man's present state of imperfection it is dawning upon
his realization that he can never be truly happy until he is perfect, and that of
all the faculties contributing to his self-perfection none is equal in
importance to the rational intellect. Through the labyrinth of diversity only
the illumined mind can, and must, lead the soul into the perfect light of
unity.
In addition to the simple ignorance which is the most potent factor in mental
growth there exists another, which is of a far more dangerous and subtle
type. This second form, called twofold or complex ignorance, may be briefly
defined as ignorance of ignorance. Worshiping the sun, moon, and stars, and
offering sacrifices to the winds, the primitive savage sought with crude
fetishes to propitiate his unknown gods. He dwelt in a world filled with
wonders which he did not understand. Now great cities stand where once
roamed the Crookboned men. Humanity no longer regards itself as primitive
or aboriginal. The spirit of wonder and awe has been succeeded by one of
sophistication. Today man worships his own accomplishments, and either
relegates the immensities of time and space to the background of his
consciousness or disregards them entirely.
From age to age men ceaselessly toil to build cities that they may rule over
them with pomp and power--as though a fillet of gold or ten million vassals
could elevate man above the dignity of his own thoughts and make the glitter
of his scepter visible to the distant stars. As this tiny planet rolls along its
orbit in space, it carries with it some two billion human beings who live and
die oblivious to that immeasurable existence lying beyond the lump on
which they dwell. Measured by the infinities of time and space, what are the
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captains of industry or the lords of finance? If one of these plutocrats should
rise until he ruled the earth itself, what would he be but a petty despot seated
on a grain of Cosmic dust?
Philosophy reveals to man his kinship with the All. It shows him that he is a
brother to the suns which dot the firmament; it lifts him from a taxpayer on a
whirling atom to a citizen of Cosmos. It teaches him that while physically
bound to earth (of which his blood and bones are part), there is nevertheless
within him a spiritual power, a diviner Self, through which he is one with the
symphony of the Whole. Ignorance of ignorance, then, is that self-satisfied
state of unawareness in which man, knowing nothing outside the limited
area of his physical senses, bumptiously declares there is nothing more to
know! He who knows no life save the physical is merely ignorant; but he
who declares physical life to be all-important and elevates it to the position
of supreme reality--such a one is ignorant of his own ignorance.
If the Infinite had not desired man to become wise, He would not have
bestowed upon him the faculty of knowing. If He had not intended man to
become virtuous, He would not have sown within the human heart the seeds
of virtue. If He had predestined man to be limited to his narrow physical life,
He would not have equipped him with perceptions and sensibilities capable
of grasping, in part at least, the immensity of the outer universe. The criers
of philosophy call all men to a comradeship of the spirit: to a fraternity of
thought: to a convocation of Selves. Philosophy invites man out of the
vainness of selfishness; out of the sorrow of ignorance and the despair of
worldliness; out of the travesty of ambition and the cruel clutches of greed;
out of the red hell of hate and the cold tomb of dead idealism.
Philosophy would lead all men into the broad, calm vistas of truth, for the
world of philosophy is a land of peace where those finer qualities pent up
within each human soul are given opportunity for expression. Here men are
taught the wonders of the blades of grass; each stick and stone is endowed
with speech and tells the secret of its being. All life, bathed in the radiance
of understanding, becomes a wonderful and beautiful reality. From the four
corners of creation swells a mighty anthem of rejoicing, for here in the light
of philosophy is revealed the purpose of existence; the wisdom and goodness
permeating the Whole become evident to even man's imperfect intellect.
Here the yearning heart of humanity finds that companionship which draws
forth from the innermost recesses of the soul that great store of good which
lies there like precious metal in some deep hidden vein.
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Following the path pointed out by the wise, the seeker after truth ultimately
attains to the summit of wisdom's mount, and gazing down, beholds the
panorama of life spread out before him. The cities of the plains are but tiny
specks and the horizon on every hand is obscured by the gray haze of the
Unknown. Then the soul realizes that wisdom lies in breadth of vision; that
it increases in comparison to the vista. Then as man's thoughts lift him
heavenward, streets are lost in cities, cities in nations, nations in continents,
continents in the earth, the earth in space, and space in an infinite eternity,
until at last but two things remain: the Self and the goodness of God.
While man's physical body resides with him and mingles with the heedless
throng, it is difficult to conceive of man as actually inhabiting a world of his
own-a world which he has discovered by lifting himself into communion
with the profundities of his own internal nature. Man may live two lives.
One is a struggle from the womb to the tomb. Its span is measured by man's
own creation--time. Well may it be called the unheeding life. The other life
is from realization to infinity. It begins with understanding, its duration is
forever, and upon the plane of eternity it is consummated. This is called the
philosophic life. Philosophers are nor born nor do they die; for once having
achieved the realization of immortality, they are immortal. Having once
communed with Self, they realize that within there is an immortal
foundation that will not pass away. Upon this living, vibrant base--Self--they
erect a civilization which will endure after the sun, the moon, and the stars
have ceased to be. The fool lives but for today; the philosopher lives forever.
When once the rational consciousness of man rolls away the stone and
comes forth from its sepulcher, it dies no more; for to this second or
philosophic birth there is no dissolution. By this should not be inferred
physical immortality, but rather that the philosopher has learned that his
physical body is no more his true Self than the physical earth is his true
world. In the realization that he and his body are dissimilar--that though the
form must perish the life will not fail--he achieves conscious immortality.
This was the immortality to which Socrates referred when he said: "Anytus
and Melitus may indeed put me to death, but they cannot injure me." To the
wise, physical existence is but the outer room of the hall of life. Swinging
open the doors of this antechamber, the illumined pass into the greater and
more perfect existence. The ignorant dwell in a world bounded by time and
space. To those, however, who grasp the import and dignity of Being, these
are but phantom shapes, illusions of the senses-arbitrary limits imposed by
man's ignorance upon the duration of Deity. The philosopher lives and thrills
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with the realization of this duration, for to him this infinite period has been
designed by the All-Wise Cause as the time of all accomplishment.
Man is not the insignificant creature that he appears to be; his physical body
is not the true measure of his real self. The invisible nature of man is as vast
as his comprehension and as measureless as his thoughts. The fingers of his
mind reach out and grasp the stars; his spirit mingles with the throbbing life
of Cosmos itself. He who has attained to the state of understanding thereby
has so increased his capacity to know that he gradually incorporates within
himself the various elements of the universe. The unknown is merely that
which is yet to be included within the consciousness of the seeker.
Philosophy assists man to develop the sense of appreciation; for as it reveals
the glory and the sufficiency of knowledge, it also unfolds those latent
powers and faculties whereby man is enabled to master the secrets of the
seven spheres.
From the world of physical pursuits the initiates of old called their disciples
into the life of the mind and the spirit. Throughout the ages, the Mysteries
have stood at the threshold of Reality--that hypothetical spot between
noumenon and phenomenon, the Substance and the shadow. The gates of the
Mysteries stand ever ajar and those who will may pass through into the
spacious domicile of spirit. The world of philosophy lies neither to the right
nor to the left, neither above nor below. Like a subtle essence permeating all
space and all substance, it is everywhere; it penetrates the innermost and the
outermost parts of all being. In every man and woman these two spheres are
connected by a gate which leads from the not-self and its concerns to the
Self and its realizations. In the mystic this gate is the heart, and through
spiritualization of his emotions he contacts that more elevated plane which,
once felt and known, becomes the sum of the worth-while. In the
philosopher, reason is the gate between the outer and the inner worlds, the
illumined mind bridging the chasm between the corporeal and the
incorporeal. Thus godhood is born within the one who sees, and from the
concerns of men he rises to the concerns of gods.
In this era of "practical" things men ridicule even the existence of God. They
scoff at goodness while they ponder with befuddled minds the
phantasmagoria of materiality. They have forgotten the path which leads
beyond the stars. The great mystical institutions of antiquity which invited
man to enter into his divine inheritance have crumbled, and institutions of
human scheming now stand where once the ancient houses of learning rose a
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mystery of fluted columns and polished marble. The white-robed sages who
gave to the world its ideals of culture and beauty have gathered their robes
about them and departed from the sight of men. Nevertheless, this little earth
is bathed as of old in the sunlight of its Providential Generator. Wide-eyed
babes still face the mysteries of physical existence. Men continue to laugh
and cry, to love and hate; Some still dream of a nobler world, a fuller life, a
more perfect realization. In both the heart and mind of man the gates which
lead from mortality to immortality are still ajar. Virtue, love, and idealism
are yet the regenerators of humanity. God continues to love and guide the
destinies of His creation. The path still winds upward to accomplishment.
The soul of man has not been deprived of its wings; they are merely folded
under its garment of flesh. Philosophy is ever that magic power which,
sundering the vessel of clay, releases the soul from its bondage to habit and
perversion. Still as of old, the soul released can spread its wings and soar to
the very source of itself.
The criers of the Mysteries speak again, bidding all men welcome to the
House of Light. The great institution of materiality has failed. The false
civilization built by man has turned, and like the monster of Frankenstein, is
destroying its creator. Religion wanders aimlessly in the maze of theological
speculation. Science batters itself impotently against the barriers of the
unknown. Only transcendental philosophy knows the path. Only the
illumined reason can carry the understanding part of man upward to the
light. Only philosophy can teach man to be born well, to live well, to die
well, and in perfect measure be born again. Into this band of the elect--those
who have chosen the life of knowledge, of virtue, and of utility--the
philosophers of the ages invite YOU.
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